"How dare you! Who gave you the audacity to speak to me like that?" The angry voice instantly sobered up the young master Jiang, who had been completely drunk.
Others may not know how capable Gu Zhixing is, but he knows it all too well.
He had always followed Ye Qingzhou around, doing menial tasks like bowing and scraping and serving tea and water, and had long since figured out Gu Zhixing's temperament.
When Gu Zhixing is in a good mood, you can say whatever you want; but if he's in a bad mood, anyone who upsets him will suffer.
"Your Highness, please don't be angry, please don't be angry!" Young Master Jiang no longer dared to try to establish any relationship with Gu Zhixing, and quickly changed back to the respectful form of address, his tone full of flattery.
"Hurry up and apologize to His Highness!" he said, grabbing the lackey and dragging him in front of Gu Zhixing.
The lackey had already recognized Gu Zhixing's identity and was so frightened that his legs went weak, his lips trembled, and he couldn't even speak clearly: "Your...Your Highness..."
"Get out!" Gu Zhixing kicked the table over, and in an instant, cups, plates and bowls on the table flew everywhere, wine was spilled on the ground, and the ground was a mess.
Gu Zhixing's face instantly turned icy cold. He glanced coldly at everyone, his eyes filled with a chilling glint.
His gaze swept across everyone's face, taking in their fear, panic, and helplessness.
Those who were originally drunk were instantly sobered by this sudden change, and they looked up in fear at Gu Zhixing, at a loss for what to do.
The group looked at each other, none daring to make the first move.
Until Gu Zhixing's gaze swept over again, he said, "Get out of here, all of you!"
The cold gaze sent chills down their spines, and some of them trembled as they stood up, carefully making their way around the mess on the floor and toward the door.
Soon, the others also got up, their movements slow and clumsy, like startled birds eager to escape this dangerous place.
As everyone left the private room, Gu Zhixing's lips curled into a self-deprecating smile.
They all approached him for money; not a single one of them was any good!
"Oh!"
After the room fell silent, Gu Zhixing's anger visibly intensified.
She was already unhappy because she was tricked by Shen Jintang, and now she's being taken advantage of again!
He was truly very distressed!
Does he really look that stupid?
Are you really that easy to fool and coax?
So many people are targeting him to scam?
He picked up a jug of wine, leaned to one side, and continued drinking.
From childhood to adulthood, people around Gu Zhixing either respected him because of his status as the heir apparent, or they looked down on him because of his unruly and dissolute behavior.
Even his mother thought he was a hopeless case and never put much effort into him.
As for Ye Qingzhou and the others, they never considered these issues. They simply treated him as their leader and followed him in his antics, as if he was born to be the leader, but they never thought about the loneliness in his heart.
His life seemed to be a complete mess, with no clear direction and no achievements.
"Your Highness." A familiar and gentle voice suddenly rang in his ears, interrupting his thoughts.
Gu Zhixing groggily raised his head, and before him was a soft halo of light.
He squinted before he could see that Chen Jintang was walking towards him against the light.
Sunlight streamed down from behind her, outlining a faint golden edge around her hair, which shimmered in the halo as if coated with a warm glow.
With improved nutrition over the past few days, her cheeks have become slightly rounder, and her skin has become fair and delicate with a healthy glow. She looks more lively and pretty, like a newly blossoming flower.
"Your Highness." Shen Jintang gently closed the door and slowly walked towards Gu Zhixing.
Gu Zhixing still remembered that Shen Jintang had lied to him, so he turned his head away in a huff, remaining silent and not even glancing at her.
Shen Jintang wasn't in a hurry. She simply sat down quietly beside him, gently folding her hands on her knees, gazing calmly out the window without saying a word.
Gu Zhixing was restless and uneasy, his mind racing, unable to figure out what Shen Jintang was up to.
Time passed by, and the room was so quiet that only the sound of the wind outside the window could be heard.
The stalemate continued for a while until Gu Zhixing finally couldn't hold back any longer. He turned around, his gaze falling on Shen Jintang, and his tone was impatient: "What exactly do you want?"
"I've come to take His Highness home to study." Shen Jintang's voice was gentle and calm, as if she were just saying something very ordinary.
"You still dare to mention studying?" Gu Zhixing's temper flared instantly, his voice filled with anger.
Shen Jintang looked up at him, her eyes revealing a calmness that subtly conveyed a sense of inexplicable sadness.
She sighed softly, her voice as light as a breeze: "I dare not mention it, but I have to."
As she spoke, she gently took the wine glass from Gu Zhixing's hand, tilted her head back and took a sip. The wine slid down her throat and neck, leaving a faint trace.
She put her wine glass aside and looked back at Gu Zhixing: "Your Highness has investigated my background and must know that I was born of a mother but was not raised by one. I was sold to work for others at the age of six to earn money to support my younger siblings."
Gu Zhixing originally wanted to take back the wine glass, but when he heard Shen Jintang's words, he stopped involuntarily.
He frowned slightly, his gaze fixed on Shen Jintang's face, waiting for her to continue.
“Life was manageable before, it was just a bit tough and tiring, but we could still survive.” Shen Jintang’s voice remained calm, but beneath that calmness lay a hint of barely perceptible bitterness. “Later, something happened in my family, everyone died, and I was the only one left.”
Gu Zhixing's brows furrowed even more. He didn't interrupt, but just listened quietly.
"I went to the capital alone to find my relatives. I had no money on the way, so I sold myself and worked for others to earn money. Once I had enough money, I headed to the capital." Shen Jintang's tone was as if she were telling a story that had nothing to do with her, but every word seemed to hit Gu Zhixing's heart hard.
"On the last occasion, I finally arrived in Kyoto and found the Grand Tutor's Mansion. I thought I would see my father."
Her voice paused slightly, and a complex emotion flashed in her eyes: "I've imagined countless scenarios of our meeting, what my father's attitude towards me would be, whether he would be happy, disgusted, or want me to die."
Upon hearing this, Gu Zhixing had a vague idea of what would happen next.
He pursed his lips slightly, his voice a little dry: "Shen Jintang, some things can't be forced."
Shen Jintang smiled slightly, a smile that carried a hint of helplessness and relief, as if it were a deep sigh at fate after experiencing countless storms: "I know, but some roads, once embarked on, can only be walked forward, even if you know the ending, you still have to walk to the end."
Gu Zhixing fell silent, his eyes dimming slightly, as if shrouded in a thin mist, seemingly touched by Shen Jintang's words, touching some soft spot deep within his heart.
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