The next morning, Lu Chengruo went to Gu Mansion after breakfast.
Gu Qingqing was also surprised to see Lu Chengruo. After all, it was rare for Lu Chengruo to come directly without making an appointment with her in advance.
Gu Qingqing might have thought of something, and quickly pulled Lu Chengruo to her boudoir.
"Chengruo, what brings you to me today?" Gu Qingqing asked tentatively.
Lu Chengruo took out an envelope and a wooden hairpin from his arms and handed them to Gu Qingqing.
After Gu Qingqing took the hairpin and envelope, she pretended to casually throw them on the table.
"Sister Gu, I told you! You definitely don't like these cheap little things."
After Lu Chengruo said this, he looked at Gu Qingqing's expression. Seeing that Gu Qingqing didn't react, he continued.
"Then write a letter of refusal and return the hairpin. I'll help you return it to that boy and stop him from thinking about it, okay?"
Listening to Lu Chengruo's words, Gu Qingqing couldn't help but frown. Even the dumbest person when it comes to love could probably hear the deep meaning in Lu Chengruo's words.
"You like the boy from the Ji family!" Gu Qingqing's words were not a rhetorical question, but an affirmative sentence.
Lu Chengruo quickly denied it, "How could anyone fall in love with a young boy? I just think Sister Gu is such a good person. He is just a little kid, he is definitely not worthy of you."
Gu Qingqing didn't expose her, but said, "Forget it, I won't bother with you. Let's go to the street to buy jewelry! I heard that a new jewelry store has opened in the south of the city."
"That letter, don't you want to open it and take a look?" Lu Chengruo pointed to the envelope in the corner.
Gu Qingqing pretended not to care and put away the envelope and hairpin, put them in the box, turned to Lu Chengruo and said, "Let's go! It's just a child's joke, don't take it seriously."
After that, the two of them went out together.
Lu Chengruo wanted to tell Gu Qingqing that Ji Yu definitely didn't do it on a whim. When pouring tea yesterday, Lu Chengruo saw four or five small cuts on Ji Yu's hands, probably because he made the wooden hairpin himself.
But every time the words came to his lips, Lu Chengruo swallowed them back.
Maybe in her heart, she still hopes that Gu Qingqing can decisively reject Ji Yu!
This resulted in Lu Chengruo being absent-minded while shopping with Gu Qingqing the entire morning today.
Lu Chengruo was sent home at noon, and Gu Qingqing arrived at the Gu Mansion just in time for lunch. Gu's father happened to come back from another place today, and the family of three plus Zhao Xiuyong had just enough people to eat together at the table.
"Xiuyong! You will be eighteen years old by the end of this year!" Mother Gu picked up a dish for Zhao Xiuyong and reminded him.
Zhao Xiuyong also roughly guessed what Gu's mother meant. The Gu family had repeatedly hinted that he was old enough to get married.
But I don't want to marry Gu Qingqing, she is the daughter of a merchant, and I want to be the top scholar in the future. Although Gu Qingqing is very beautiful, her family background is not suitable for me. If she passes the imperial examination in the future, I can marry her as a concubine.
"I want to wait until I pass the imperial examination early next year before I make a decision. Now I have no honors and I am not worthy of my dear sister." Zhao Xiuyong said quickly with a bow.
"But you went to the brothel to drink and have fun a few days ago. Why do you refuse when it comes to getting married? Our Qingqing has already turned 16 this year." There was anger in Gu's father's voice.
Gu Qingqing didn't say anything, but she seemed to remember that the young man also asked her to wait for him and propose marriage after he graduated from high school next year.
Gu Qingqing quickly explained for Zhao Xiuyong, "Father, don't be angry! It's only half a year. We've waited for several years, so half a year won't be a big deal. I won't be seventeen until May next year, and the exam will be in early March, and the results will be out in April. There's no need to rush."
After hearing what Gu Qingqing said, Father Gu felt a little better.
Zhao Xiuyong was relieved when he heard Gu Qingqing speak for him, but he was still thinking: Sister Qingqing, you are really generous and sensible, and you are considerate. If you pass the imperial examination in the future, I will definitely give you the status of a concubine.
"Then Xiuyong, you also have to study hard recently! You are almost eighteen years old, and you are not like the little prodigy of the Ji family, who is only fourteen. If you can't compare with others, you have to work harder than him." Father Gu's expression eased a little, and he couldn't help but remind him.
When Zhao Xiuyong heard what Gu's father said, he quickly changed the subject and said, "Our Master Lin recently opened a small class for students with better grades so that we can fully prepare for next year's exam. Junior brother Ji and I were even assigned to the same class!"
"Oh! It seems that you have really put a lot of effort into your studies recently. Learn from the little prodigy Ji." Father Gu gave some advice.
Zhao Xiuyong quickly told a few people what had happened in the past month.
"Several bad things happened this month, and Junior Brother Ji always targeted me in class. I thought he was dissatisfied with me. But when Master Lin was dividing the classes, Junior Brother Ji spoke up for me! It seems that he is also very optimistic about me and thinks that I am very knowledgeable."
After Zhao Xiuyong finished speaking, he couldn't help but praise himself again.
When Gu Qingqing first heard it, she wondered if that boy was secretly venting his anger on her, so he secretly taught Zhao Xiuyong a lesson.
After a while, I wondered if I was overthinking it, maybe it was just a coincidence! Later, I heard Ji Yu helping Zhao Xiuyong, and Zhao Xiuyong's self-praise in the second half.
Gu Qingqing suddenly felt that the lunch was dull and uninteresting, so she simply said goodbye to her parents and returned to her room.
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