Chapter 769 You forged the letter, right?
On the second day of the Lunar New Year, the weather was fine.
Gu Qingchen had just finished breakfast when his personal maid came in holding a letter.
"Miss, it was sent by Master Lu."
Gu Qingchen was a little surprised and took it and opened it.
The letter was written in the handwriting of her cousin Gu Lu, and every word was filled with the familiar cheerfulness she was familiar with.
The letter said that he knew she had been feeling depressed these days, and as there happened to be a lively temple fair in the city today, he invited her to go shopping together to relax, and they were to meet at the most famous "Wen Xiang Lai" teahouse on East Street.
Thinking of the brother who always protected him, Gu Qingchen's heart warmed up, and the gloom of the past few days dissipated a little.
"Write back and tell them I'll be there on time," she instructed the maid.
The atmosphere in the mansion was depressing, and she really wanted to go out for some fresh air.
At the same time, Qian Mansion.
A man in shorts was reporting to Qian Zhenyun in a low voice.
"Master, I've found out. Gu Lanxin did leave the city and go to the West Mountain yesterday morning. But she didn't enter Ganlu Temple. Instead, she stayed in front of an unnamed solitary grave on the mountain for about half an hour."
Qian Zhenyun was wiping a long sword and paused.
"Who did you see?"
"Yes. A young man in a gray robe. Because we were far away, I couldn't see his face clearly."
Qian Zhenyun slowly sheathed his sword, his eyes deep.
Lonely grave, man.
He thought of that person almost immediately.
At this moment, the servant he sent to keep an eye on the outside of the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion ran in.
"Sir, Miss Gu is out. She said she's going to the temple fair on East Street to meet Master Lu."
Qian Zhenyun frowned.
Gu Lu?
How could Gu Lu have the leisure time to visit the temple fair?
However, since Gu Lu had invited them, and they were cousins, it was not easy for them to stop him directly, so they had to change into inconspicuous casual clothes and follow quietly behind to prevent any accidents.
The temple fair was packed with people, and the sounds of hawking, laughter, and gongs and drums were intertwined, creating an extremely lively scene.
Gu Qingchen squeezed through the crowd, feeling a bit more cheerful. As agreed, she went up to the second floor of the Wenxianglai Teahouse and found the private room mentioned in the letter.
She pushed open the door and called out with a smile, "Brother Lu, I..."
The voice stopped abruptly when he saw the person in the room.
In the private room, the person sitting by the window was not her cousin Gu Lu, but Lin Jiayou, who was dressed in a moon-white brocade robe and was looking at her with a smile.
The smile on Gu Qingchen's face disappeared instantly, replaced by a cold look.
"Why is it you?"
Lin Jiayou stood up, his posture still gentle and elegant, as if he was unaware of her indifference.
"Qingchen, long time no see."
Gu Qingchen's gaze fell on him like a knife: "You used my brother Lu's name to trick me out?"
"If not, will you come out to see me?" Lin Jiayou walked towards her slowly, with a hint of helpless doting in his tone, as if she was just being unreasonable.
This matter-of-fact look completely infuriated Gu Qingchen.
"Lin Jiayou, what exactly do you want to do?" She took a step back, keeping a distance from him, her voice full of vigilance and disgust.
"I'm just worried about you." Lin Jiayou stopped in front of her, looking at her with burning eyes. "I heard about the palace banquet. You've been wronged."
His voice was gentle and his eyes were affectionate. If it were in the past, Gu Qingchen might have been moved.
But now, she just felt it was extremely hypocritical.
"My business has nothing to do with you." Gu Qingchen interrupted him coldly, "You forged the letter, right?"
Lin Jiayou acquiesced. He sighed, "Qingchen, why do you have to be so distant? Everything I do is for you."
"For me?" Gu Qingchen seemed to have heard a huge joke. "For me, you used such despicable means to trick me out? Lin Jiayou, put away your tricks, I'm not Gu Lanxin."
When mentioning Gu Lanxin, a hint of gloom flashed across Lin Jiayou's eyes, but then he returned to his affectionate look.
"I know you're still angry with me. But Qingchen, look at your current situation. The Crown Prince won't let you go, and the Queen won't let you go either. Only I, only I can help you."
"I don't need it." Gu Qingchen spoke each word clearly, "I'll say it again, you don't need to interfere in my affairs."
Below the teahouse, at the corner of the street.
Qian Zhenyun, dressed in an inconspicuous gray cloth, blended into the crowd, but his eyes never left the closed window.
He saw Gu Qingchen go in.
A cup of tea has passed.
His heart sank little by little.
The gentleness on Lin Jiayou's face did not diminish at all. He just lowered his eyes, and there was a hint of imperceptible bitterness in his voice.
"I don't know why you're tired of me, Qingchen, but have you ever thought about what would happen if you turned around and left right now, and we parted ways in this teahouse on bad terms?"
He raised his hand and pointed at the bustling street outside the window.
"They'll just say that Miss Gu from the Zhenguo Mansion had a secret meeting with someone in the palace, and then she had an argument with another man at the temple fair. Do you still want your reputation?"
Gu Qingchen's heart sank suddenly.
What she hated most was Lin Jiayou's appearance of always being able to see through her thoughts and grasp her weaknesses.
"Are you threatening me?" Her voice became even colder.
"This is not a threat, it's a reminder." Lin Jiayou's tone was still gentle, even with a hint of concern.
"Qingchen, we all know how many people are watching you right now. The Queen, the Crown Prince, and those who are waiting to see the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion make a fool of itself. The more fiercely you resist, the more excited they will be."
He took a step forward and lowered his voice, carrying a bewitching power.
"But what if we, like before, calmly walked around this temple fair?"
He looked at her, with the tenderness in his eyes that she was once most familiar with.
"What will they think? They won't understand. If they don't understand, they won't dare to act rashly. You can buy more time for yourself and Qian Zhenyun."
Gu Qingchen's nails dug deep into his palms.
She had to admit that Lin Jiayou was right.
What she needs most now is time, to confuse everyone and make sure no one knows what her next step will be.
Walking with him was undoubtedly disgusting, but at this moment, it might be the best deception.
Seeing her expression relax, Lin Jiayou's lips curled up in a very shallow arc, so fast that it was impossible to catch.
"Qingchen, just think of it as your own. Walk with me, okay? Just like when we were little, we sneaked out of the academy together, you clamored for candied haws, and I..."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
