Chapter 13 Wumeng Manor (3) Lan Jue said: "I came here for you...
Gu Congxing looked at the aloof young man in front of him, and his heart beat faster unconsciously.
Why do I feel so overwhelmed with joy the first time I see him?
And this inexplicable sense of security...
Lan Jue on the opposite side was also thinking. His eyes turned slightly, as if he wanted to say something else, but he just waited gently for Gu Congxing's response.
"Brother Lan Jue...?"
Gu Congxing's call came out of his mouth, but he felt it was a bit awkward, as if he shouldn't call him that.
"...Brother Lan?" It didn't seem right.
He reviewed his memories and confirmed that this person was Lan Jue, the son of the current Prime Minister. Prime Minister Lan had been in power for many years, a man of integrity and honesty, with a good reputation in the court and a great favor from the emperor.
As his eldest son, Lan Jue was known as a child prodigy when he was young. He was a handsome young man with elegant appearance and a top scholar with bright temperament and clear mind.
Yes, not long ago Lan Jue had taken the imperial examination and won the top spot - very different from himself.
Clearly, the two had known each other since childhood and could be considered childhood sweethearts. However, back in the Imperial College, Lan Jue was always the center of attention, showered with praise, while Gu Congxing was shunned and even gained a bad reputation.
...As for the cause, Gu Congxing could no longer remember it. It seemed that it was because he had fought several fights and beat up several young masters shortly after entering the Imperial College?
But no matter how others treated him differently, Lan Jue never alienated Gu Congxing.
On the contrary, this person always walked out from the crowd surrounding Gu Congxing when he was alone, and came to Gu Congxing like a breeze.
Sometimes when Gu Congxing felt awkward, he would be sarcastic to Lan Jue and say things like, "Why did you think of me, busy Mr. Lan?"
Upon hearing this, all the classmates showed disgust on their faces, thinking that Gu Congxing was arrogant and domineering, and could not distinguish between good and evil.
But Lan Jue never changed his expression, and even kept smiling, accompanying Gu Congxing again and again.
However, even with such tolerance and accommodation, a fierce argument broke out between the two - not long ago.
At that time, Lan Jue had been crowned the top scorer in the imperial examination, and was paraded through the streets on a white horse, a scene of immense glory. He wore a scarlet brocade robe and a white jade crown with a dragon pattern on his head. He was handsome, a smile on his lips. The people lining Guangwu Avenue cheered for him, and the ladies in the attic shyly cast aside their flowery branches and embroidered handkerchiefs.
In the brilliant sea of flowers, the always humble Lan Jue also raised his chin proudly, his eyes full of romantic spirit.
Gu Congxing was hidden in the crowd on both sides of the street, and like everyone else, his eyes were fixed on the top scholar.
My mind and soul are all occupied by him.
Gu Congxing noticed that when the parade passed by Tinghai Pavilion, a slender hand dropped a hydrangea peony, which fell squarely into Lan Jue's arms.
Lan Jue looked up in surprise, only to see a beautiful woman with a proud smile peeking out from the window.
——It turned out to be Her Royal Highness the current Princess!
In an instant, all the onlookers who witnessed this scene burst into cheers, and there were also whistles to cheer.
Hydrangea and peony, throwing the "hydrangea", isn't it just like the eldest princess throwing the hydrangea to choose a new husband?!
Gu Congxing was in the dark, silently watching Lan Jue and Princess Xiao Yan looking at each other from a distance, his mind going blank.
The cheers grew louder and louder, overlapping with his heavy heartbeat, as if it was going to pierce through his chest.
"Bang, bang—"
The scene before him seemed to fade away, and his vision became smaller and smaller, until it finally focused only on Lan Jue's face.
When he saw Lan Jue curling his lips towards the princess, Gu Congxing felt dizzy as if he had fallen into the air for some reason.
He fled in panic and haste.
Amidst the clamor of the crowd, he was like a frightened dog that had lost its home.
From then on, every time Lan Jue came looking for Gu Congxing, he would shut the door and refuse to see him. It wasn't until Lan Jue came for the fourth time that he could no longer bear it and shouted in front of everyone in the mansion, "Enough! Your Excellency Lan will soon be a royal consort, so why bother putting on such pretense here!"
"It's so hypocritical! It's disgusting!"
As soon as he uttered this curse, the surroundings fell into a dead silence. Gu Congxing suddenly came to his senses and looked at Lan Jue in a panic, only to find that he had lost all expression and his face was pale.
Gu Congxing opened his mouth, but finally gritted his teeth, pushed Lan Jue out of the house, and slammed the door shut.
After that, the two never met again.
"..." Gu Congxing couldn't help feeling uncomfortable and embarrassed when he recalled this.
How could I do such a stupid thing? How could I say such evil words?
Or is it towards Lan Jue?
Gu Congxing was lost in thought when he heard a clear and gentle voice.
"Your Highness, are you willing to forgive me?"
Lan Jue was still as gentle and elegant as ever, with a smile in his eyes. He seemed to be completely unconcerned about being scolded and insulted.
He forgave Gu Congxing as he had countless times before.
"Ah, yes."
Gu Congxing's face felt a little hot, and he really didn't dare to look at Lan Jue again. His eyes swept across the gravel on the ground.
Feeling the gaze of the person opposite him, Gu Congxing cleared his throat and deliberately changed the subject:
"By the way, why are you here?"
Unexpectedly, this question made Lan Jue fall into silence.
He looked at the lake, confusion covering his brow.
“…I don’t know.”
Gu Congxing: "Ah?"
"When I woke up, there was always a voice inside me telling me to come here."
Lan Jue turned his gaze back and looked at Gu Congxing with calm eyes.
"Because here, I can meet a very important person. I was trying to figure out who it was, but my mind is so confused that it's hard to tell."
"But as soon as I saw you, I knew."
"I'm here for you, from the stars."
Gu Congxing's heartbeat suddenly skipped a beat. He blinked frantically, his eyelashes trembling slightly, and a blush appeared on his fair face.
"you……"
"Ah! Your Highness, Young Master Lan, so you are here."
A male voice suddenly came, and both of them turned around and saw a middle-aged man with a solemn appearance and a kind smile.
"Butler Lin?" Gu Congxing said after thinking for a moment.
"I'm late." Steward Lin stepped forward and bowed to the two men. "The dew is heavy here. You two must be careful not to catch a cold. Especially Your Highness, you are still ill and need to rest well."
"Hmph, got it." Gu Congxing was a little impatient.
"Cong Xing is injured?"
The surprise and worry in Lan Jue's voice didn't seem fake. Steward Lin replied in surprise, "Yes. Master Lan, wasn't it because you heard that the Crown Prince was injured that you hurried here to visit him yesterday?"
"Is that so..." Lan Jue propped up his head, his brows slightly furrowed, "Yeah, I remember now, it's true."
"Indeed." He repeated it again with his eyelids lowered.
Another servant, A Luo, came running with a fox fur cloak. Steward Lin was about to put it on Gu Congxing, but he waved his hand to refuse.
"No need. I've been exercising regularly, so why would I be afraid of this little bit of cold?"
When he blurted out these words, the three people present were all stunned, with different expressions.
Gu Congxing himself was also surprised: Long-term physical training? But he only had some boxing and kicking skills at best, not someone who practiced martial arts all year round...
Lan Jue's eyes flickered, but Steward Lin and A' Luo showed a puzzled look, then tilted their heads to the side, and the angles were surprisingly the same.
"I don't know what Your Highness means." The two men said in unison.
"...Nothing." Gu Congxing felt even more strange in his heart. He looked at the two subordinates who had served him for many years and felt a sense of strangeness.
He took a step back silently.
Steward Lin and A'Luo's black pupils remained motionless as they stared silently at Gu Congxing. The air temperature around them suddenly dropped, making the hairs on their backs stand on end.
At this moment, a calm and gentle voice broke the increasingly strange atmosphere.
"Your skills are good enough for beating people up, but don't show off your prowess."
Lan Jue seemed unaware of the changes in the two people beside him. He took the fox fur cloak very naturally, walked up to Gu Congxing, and put it on him.
Lan Jue was tall and slender, and when he stood in front of Gu Congxing, he was a head taller than him, completely blocking the view of Steward Lin and the others.
He stretched out his hand in front of Gu Congxing, and a faint fragrance of plum blossoms wafted from his sleeves.
The white knuckles flipped very lightly, tightened the cloak's laces, and tied a flower knot.
"If you get frozen, you won't be able to attend the Qionghua Banquet in a few days. Didn't you talk about going to the palace to challenge the Crown Prince last time?"
"...Humph, of course. I will definitely defeat him this time."
"Then I'll wait and see."
Hearing the two people talking like this, Manager Lin and A Luo gradually withdrew their gazes, and the temperature of their bodies slowly rose.
The feeling of being on edge disappeared, and Gu Congxing breathed a sigh of relief without making a sound.
At this moment, the two of them were very close. Gu Congxing tilted his head slightly and saw Lan Jue with his eyes lowered, gentle and focused. As he got closer, he realized that his eyelashes were not curled but very long. When he looked down like this, his bright amber pupils were hidden in the shadows.
Gu Congxing's breathing was a little disordered, and he quickly looked away, but his cheeks felt hot again.
Lan Jue's fingers reached out to the side of Gu Congxing's face and tucked his hair behind his ears. Only then did he notice that the boy's ears were stained with some red, which was quite cute.
"Why is Congxing shy?" He chuckled and couldn't help but rub Gu Congxing's round earlobe.
It's fleshy and feels good.
"You!" Gu Congxing's face flushed red, his brows furrowed, and he was about to open his mouth to scold, but Lan Jue held his cheeks with both hands and rubbed them towards the middle.
"Ugh! Nan (Lan) Jue (Jue) Ni (Ni)..."
"Hehe." Lan Jue looked at the young man's pouting red lips and his eyes wide open in anger as he stared at himself, and he felt an indescribable sense of relief.
He seemed to have wanted to do this for a long time, allowing this boy, who was always pensive and distant, to feel angry, happy, shy, and annoyed without restraint.
——There is no need to be shackled by those invisible burdens.
"Your Highness, you look like a plump pufferfish."
"Enough, enough!" Gu Congxing pushed hard and broke free from Lan Jue's evil hands.
Damn it! How could Lan Jue still smile so harmlessly?
"Humph! Since you've been here for two days, shouldn't you go back soon?"
Despite this blatant order to expel him, Lan Jue maintained a nonchalant smile and said, "Indeed. I will be leaving for home today."
Gu Congxing responded and turned away. Although his movements were quick and decisive, a blush still lingered on his cheeks.
There seemed to be another annoying laugh coming from behind him, and Gu Congxing quickened his pace.
***
Four days later, in the capital, Qianyuan Palace.
It was autumn in the Forbidden City, with the air crisp and clear, and the fragrance of golden osmanthus wafting through the air. A grand banquet in honor of the golden osmanthus blossoms was held in the palace, and all the distinguished persons were present.
This banquet was not held in the main hall, but in the Guiyuan Garden of Wanhua Garden - after all, the protagonists of this Qionghua Banquet were not royal relatives, but the talented and outstanding people who were named on the imperial examination list.
The noble ladies were dressed in gorgeous clothes, and the young men gathered in groups of three or five, and from time to time there were sounds of laughter and fun.
Gu Congxing sat alone on the high seat on the east side, with a look of boredom written all over his face.
In fact, considering his status, even if he is not popular, he should have some lackeys around. Unfortunately, he has never been too lazy to put on a show and always treats those who curry favor with him with sarcasm.
Having grown up with Lan Jue, he unconsciously had higher standards for choosing companions.
But even so, there were always some young men eagerly surrounding him. Until he entered the Imperial College, he got into a few fights with others, and those who wanted to make friends with him ran away.
After all, Gu Congxing was beating the current prince's companion and slapping the face of the future ruler of the world.
Since then, his already bad relationship with the prince has become even worse.
As Gu Congxing recalled this, some of his blank memories became complete. But for some reason, he couldn't feel happy, and instead felt a sense of irritation.
Picking up the wine glass, he took a sip and raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"It's actually hawthorn wine, the taste..." Why does it seem familiar?
Who was it that brought me sweet and sour hawthorn?
That person seemed to have a pair of dark golden eyes that were always smiling...
"You've only recovered from your illness for a few days and you're already here drinking. You don't think you're lucky."
A familiar sarcasm came, and Gu Congxing guessed who it was without even looking up.
"Why, Doctor Mei is concerned about my health?"
Gu Congxing took another sip of wine and sneered at Mei Ci.
Upon hearing this, Mei Ci was like a cat whose tail was stepped on. She shouted, "You're dreaming! Why would I care about someone like you..."
Before he could finish, he was interrupted by another lazy voice: "Brother Mei, I heard you yelling from a distance."
Ruan Wei, the son of the Minister of Personnel, approached, fanning himself with a cynical air. Though young, he possessed a sophisticated sense of social interaction. After teasing Mei Ci, he smiled and saluted Gu Congxing, perfectly respectful of the rules.
"Greetings, His Royal Highness."
Gu Congxing nodded in agreement.
He did not feel any aversion to this handsome, round-faced boy, but rather felt a sense of closeness to him.
"Tsk, so hypocritical." Mei Ci said disdainfully.
Ruan Wei uttered an "Eh!" and was about to argue with him when he heard the girls not far away exclaiming, "The top-ranking Jinshi are here!"
"The number one scholar is indeed worthy of his reputation, so handsome!"
"Master Lan Jue!"
Gu Congxing's heartbeat quickened uncontrollably. He followed the crowd's astonished gazes and saw a group of radiant scholars approaching, led by none other than Lan Jue, who was as bright as a pearl.
He wore a long, cyan robe, the color of distant mountains at the beginning of a clear day, and a thin white gauze shirt embroidered with cranes and auspicious clouds. A plain silk sash, lightly tied around his waist, outlined his slender figure.
Within a moment of him sitting down, several young men came up to him, and several noble ladies stood by, shyly congratulating him.
Lan Jue was surrounded by people, but he was used to it. He smiled as usual, raised his glass and chatted with everyone.
Gu Congxing's eyes were fixed on that side, and he didn't notice that Mei Ci and Ruan Wei had left. However, a dark shadow approached silently from behind, whispering a mocking and hot word into his ear.
"It's been a long time since we last met, and you seem to be getting more and more useless."
who! ?
Gu Congxing suddenly came to his senses. He subconsciously swung his elbow backwards, but was blocked. He turned sideways and stood up, grabbed the bamboo chopsticks on the dining table and stabbed backwards!
"Your Highness!"
A sharp scream came from his ears, and Gu Congxing's hand paused slightly, losing its momentum. He was stopped by the man opposite and his wrist was tightly grasped.
"What is the crime for assassinating the crown prince?"
The young man in black clothes with golden patterns looked very noble, and his dark eyes reflected Gu Congxing's frightened face.
How could it be him? !
——Xiao Wangyou? !
The author has something to say:
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Bad author: The identities and memories in the illusion were all written by a certain boss himself, but the plot after officially falling into it is their free will choice (smirk)
A boss: I have a basis for this... Dreams will amplify certain unconscious desires in their hearts.
Bad author: Do you dare to say that you haven’t processed it?
A certain boss: ...whatever works best, is that wrong? (Eyes shifted)
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