I didn't invite you.
This was an undeserved disaster, and Wen Ruo hurriedly grabbed him, "There needs to be evidence to convict someone."
Qi Guanlan was taken aback, then looked down at his waist. Wen Ruo quickly let go, forcing a smile, "I didn't mean to."
"Evidence?" Qi Guanlan pulled out a letter, tore it open, and held it up to her eyes. "Blind woman, can you see that?"
"You're the one who's blind." Wen Ruo muttered, opened the letter and saw that it was indeed an invitation to Leng Hua Lou, "but it didn't say that it was me who invited him."
"Ha, the messenger said it was you. Could it be that Xiao Shunzi is deaf?"
"How could I possibly invite you?"
Qi Guanlan's eyebrows twitched suddenly. "What do you mean? Am I not good enough for you?"
"please!"
His voice suddenly rose, and the last word he squeezed out even changed tone. After he finished speaking, he looked like he had been struck by lightning, his eyes lost focus, and he was even more withered than the withered crabapple tree next to him.
Wen Ruo swallowed the three words "Leng Hua Lou" and fell into a brief silence. Was it really worth getting so angry over just missing a meal from her? She blinked quickly, a smile faintly appearing, her bright eyes shimmering like autumn water.
"I misspoke earlier. It's my treat. How about roast suckling pig?"
"I'm a vegetarian." Qi Guanlan glanced at her, then quickly turned away, leaving behind a cold remark before turning and walking away quickly, looking like she was fleeing in panic.
Why are you running?
The slender and upright figure suddenly staggered, then quickened his pace. Wen Ruo chased after him out the door, then hurriedly locked the door. After running for a while, she could no longer see Qi Guanlan.
She stood with her hands on her hips, breathing lightly, and comforted herself, "It's because I haven't recovered yet." After searching the street for a while, she decisively gave up.
"Never mind, let's wait until he calms down."
Wen Ruo looked away and unfolded the crumpled note. It wasn't her handwriting at all, but Tao Yan seemed like the kind of person who would do something so pointless.
What do you mean? Not only do you not come to see her, but you also cause trouble. Surely you're not watching her from the shadows?
As Wen Ruo walked along the road, the November wind was even more biting, penetrating everywhere, like an unsharpened blade, scraping painfully against her neck. She hugged the fur collar of her cloak tightly, and the cold wind cunningly ran from her feet up her back and straight to the top of her head.
Is it so cold today? Or is she just too weak? Wen Ruo looked around and saw a beautiful, gentle, and well-read girl in the crowd. Her peach-colored dress was understated and elegant, and she could be ranked after Cao Xi in the list of noble ladies.
She seemed to be wearing even less than me, staring longingly in one direction, seemingly oblivious to the cold.
It seems to be Fu Jingjiang!
"Miss Wen!"
Among the passersby, Fu Jingjiang stood out from the crowd. His faded cotton shirt had been replaced with a white brocade robe, and he wore a silver crown and a jade pendant. Tall and elegant, he transformed from a frail scholar into a handsome young man. Was he going to see Miss Sun?
Fu Jingjiang hadn't been out at his stall for a few days. The stall owner said that when he ran into him by chance, Fu was beaming with joy and had even changed his clothes completely; he almost didn't recognize him. His tone was three parts admiration and seven parts envy, saying that Fu had won the favor of some young lady, and that if he passed the imperial examination next year and had the help of his future in-laws, he might become an official the next time they met.
Wen Ruo remained motionless and smiled, "Young Master Fu, is there any good news today?"
Are you alright?
Wen Ruo touched her face; it was a little cold, probably from the cold wind. Her face was pale. "I'm fine."
Fu Jingjiang looked at her with concern, then withdrew his outstretched hand. "Miss Wen, I have a question that I've been holding back for a while, and I have to ask it."
"What's the problem? Why are you looking so serious?" Wen Ruo's expression also became serious. "Please speak, Young Master Fu."
Fu Jingjiang pursed his lips slightly, "Miss Wen, do you have someone you like?"
Wen Ruo was taken aback, her eyes and eyebrows slightly raised, a hint of inquiry in her bewildered gaze. Why did she seem so eager to get married? Was this karma? She was eyeing Qi Guanlan's marriage for wealth and status, while others were eyeing her.
"Are you going to introduce me to someone else? I'm not fully literate, so I'm afraid I won't be able to talk to a scholar."
Fu Jingjiang forced a smile and let out a few dry laughs. Wen Ruo didn't think of him at all; she felt like a joke for having gone to the appointment so excitedly.
He bowed slightly, said his farewell in a low voice, and left with slightly unsteady steps, looking exactly like Qi Guanlan. One is gentle and refined, the other domineering, yet there's a certain similarity between them.
Even more so, face-changing.
In the blink of an eye, she felt that Fu Jingjiang's entire body, even his snow-white brocade robe, was covered in dust, and his whole appearance suddenly paled. His gentle and refined appearance seemed to be her illusion.
Wen Ruo brushed aside a stray lock of hair from her forehead. With her vision clear, she realized that the sky, which had been cloudless just moments before, was now filled with large, dark clouds drifting towards her.
Is it going to rain?
No sooner had the words been spoken than a deluge of large raindrops appeared, and a huge curtain of rain descended from the sky. A cold wind blew, and the long curtain of raindrops swayed in all directions, pattering against the heads of passersby.
The shops, the eaves, and the vendors selling oil-paper umbrellas were packed with people.
She had just raised her head when a white oil-paper umbrella blocked her view. She had seen the indigo-blue floral goldfish pattern not long ago. Turning her head, she saw Qi Guanlan with a sour face. "I'll take you back."
The letter was already mostly wet, the ink was gradually spreading, and the characters were blurred into a mess that could no longer be distinguished. Wen Ruo stuffed it into her sleeve and instantly felt a chill.
"What I mean is, if I were to invite you, I would at least go to a restaurant or personally host a banquet to thank you for taking care of me these past few days. Why would I go to Young Master Zhao's shop? Wouldn't that just cause you trouble?"
"If I didn't even have this much sense, how could I possibly get by?"
Qi Guanlan walked with his head down, not saying a word the whole way. Wen Ruo tugged at his sleeve and announced the good news, "The fish has taken the bait."
You're saying someone is impersonating you?
Qi Guanlan paused slightly, his slightly warmer expression turning icy again. "Is he Tao Qianzhang? Or a descendant of the Sujian Sect? How dare he show his face in the capital?"
"Who knows? But why Leng Hualou? Is it a test, or are they trying to accuse you of harassing women again?"
"Is Zhao Heng the manager of Lenghua Tower? You two are equally incompetent?"
Wen Ruoxiang's brows furrowed in thought. It seemed like all those people had vanished in an instant. "Could the assassin be a woman? Maybe we should go to Lenghua Tower; perhaps we can find some clues there."
Qi Guanlan listened the whole way, but her eyes remained completely unmoved. "You really didn't invite me to see Miss Sun?"
"No!" Wen Ruo glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, noticing his expression shift from gloomy to bright. After a moment's hesitation, she said, "There's nothing we can do if you want to see him?"
"......"
Qi Guanlan noticed her little scheme and immediately suppressed a smile. "Shut up."
It seems she was really tempted by his mother's offer.
What do you want to do with her?
"I'll do Cao Xi a small favor."
Qi Guanlan gripped the umbrella handle tightly. It was Cao Xi again. Leng Hualou was going, and he was determined to teach Zhao Heng a lesson.
Wen Ruo looked around carefully under the umbrella. It was an oil-paper umbrella that cost only a few coins, obviously bought on the way. "You came out to the appointment without anyone with you?"
"I'll forget about Leng Hua Lou. I can't even imagine the princess leading soldiers to surround me and accusing me of murdering the prince if I were sent to the desolate wilderness."
Qi Guanlan was speechless.
Wen Ruo became increasingly frightened as she spoke, "You were tricked out with just a letter." Although I know you're easy to fool, it's still too easy, isn't it?
"Knowing full well that someone is trying to harm you."
"You're the only one around me with such terrible handwriting." Qi Guanlan looked away guiltily, but stubbornly said, "So going to Lenghua Tower isn't like going to a dragon's den or a tiger's lair, what can I think?"
Wen Ruo felt as if she had been shot in the knee, and couldn't help but retort, "Don't come up here and accuse someone wrongly next time. Can I have the golden walnut now?"
"Golden Walnut again, all you ever talk about is Golden Walnut." Qi Guanlan put one hand behind his back and asked, "What are you doing on Cao Xi's behalf this time? You're not really going to Honghu Academy, are you?"
Wen Ruo remained silent, and Qi Guanlan thought he had guessed correctly. "Are you really angry with your mother? I investigated the Sun family during my seclusion these past few days. Guess what I found out?"
Wen Ruo looked up in surprise, "Miss Yue's scholar?"
"Want to hear it?"
Wen Ruo nodded.
"What will you give in exchange?"
"Golden walnuts?"
Qi Guanlan snorted coldly, "It's in my hands. You think you can get something for nothing?"
"Would you like to have dinner?"
“There’s one official of the third rank or above in the capital, a native of the capital, who is clearly not that scholar. There are two others of the fifth rank or above, and one of them has a wife surnamed Yue. Isn’t that a coincidence?”
Wen Ruo's eyes widened in surprise as she stared at him blankly. Qi Guanlan chuckled, "You're scared already?"
"You mean, Miss Yue disappeared while still practicing Buddhism, but was actually taken away by the scholar, and after many twists and turns, the two became husband and wife?"
Qi Guanlan: "It's very possible, but we still need to confirm it. After all, not many people have seen Miss Yue yet. We'll only know about this when your mother wakes up. Do you want to tell her?"
Wen Ruo was silent for a moment. In the distance, on the lonely arched bridge, raindrops hit the surface of the bridge, splashing water everywhere. She remembered that in the summer, it was just like this, but there were several big children on the bridge, barefoot, splashing and playing in the water without any restraint. Their parents had to twist their ears before they would go home.
She probably will never be able to be carefree.
"Young master, is sending me back an act of repaying a debt of gratitude?"
"Of course," Qi Guanlan blurted out, a flicker of panic in his eyes, a sudden tension rising in his heart. "Or what do you want to know?"
Wen Ruo, oblivious to his odd behavior, asked again, "Even favors have an end. When do you plan to repay this debt of gratitude, young master?"
"Once we catch the one who tried to harm me, everyone outside knows you're a noblewoman from the Princess's residence. You're in great danger, especially since you're so frail." Qi Guanlan finished speaking and secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn't expected that the excuse of bringing the umbrella would come in handy at this moment.
"Young Master sees things more clearly than I do."
She didn't want any complications, but fate loves to play tricks on people. If it really was Miss Yue, she didn't dare to imagine the look on Shiliu Niang's face when she found out.
"There's a puddle ahead," Qi Guanlan warned.
Wen Ruo came to her senses and realized that the tip of her shoe had touched the edge of the hole, but it was only as wide as a bucket. She lifted her foot and stepped over it with ease, her skirt slightly damp.
"My life is in your hands, young master."
Qi Guanlan's shoulders slumped, as if the burden were a thousand pounds. "Why don't you come back to the manor with me?"
Wen Ruo choked this time, her face turning red from coughing. "I was just kidding."
"The shop is empty, who will be the bait?"
Qi Guanlan frowned, seemingly dissatisfied with her answer. "Does this young master need you as bait?"
Wen Ruo changed her tune, "Of course not. Young Master's whip technique is a true inheritance from the princess. I'm just a gofer, and I value my life the most. Speaking of which, has Young Master seen the 'Record of Noble Ladies'? I'm planning to publish a 'Record of Noble Ladies,' do you have any candidates in mind?"
Qi Guanlan's expression changed instantly, and he said coldly, "No."
"It's good to stay at the princess's residence. You can discuss things with the princess. You're benefiting from the young master's favor. How about I treat you to another meal?"
"Don't even think about it, just stay at your shop."
Wen Ruo's lips twitched, and she put her hands into her sleeves, silently clenching the wet paper. She was still reluctant to get married. Being a princess was not easy. "Then I can only find a way myself."
"Young master, does the Sun family have any young masters?"
Qi Guanlan's face darkened instantly. "What, you want to marry him to atone for your mother's sins?"
Wen Ruo: "..."
"Don't even think about it. The four sons of the Sun family are studying at the academy, and only the fifth young lady is by their side."
Wen Ruo: "What's the Fifth Miss's name?"
"Sun Yueyou".
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