Chapter 22 Following Miss Gu
"The fallen yellow leaves cannot be removed, and the yellow paper beneath the brush will soon be covered in yellow ink."
Feng Rongrong held up half of the poem and looked at Gu Qingxu.
"Miss Gu, please provide the next line of poetry and its meaning."
As soon as Feng Rongrong recited her poem with a hint of difficulty, it instantly attracted the attention of everyone around her, who all turned to look at Gu Qingxu.
Several of the girls whispered among themselves, some worried for her, some felt indignant on her behalf, and others, like Feng Rongrong, were waiting for her to make a fool of herself.
Faced with the intense gazes of the crowd, Gu Qingxu felt a little flustered. She couldn't match the poem to the poem and clearly felt that Feng Rongrong was deliberately targeting her.
But if he couldn't come up with a matching answer, wouldn't that really embarrass the Gu family? The wrinkles between his brows and eyes deepened, like two closely adjacent mountain peaks.
She felt a pang of regret; she should have known better than to let Ruan Xingzhu go to urinate. If she had been there, she would have surely helped her out cleverly.
But the word "give in" has never existed in Gu Qingxu's dictionary. Even though she was anxious, she still pretended to be calm and thought of a way to deal with it.
The atmosphere seemed to freeze at that moment, and everyone around fell silent, waiting for Gu Qingxu's reaction.
During a brief pause, the young master of the Yuan family, unable to bear it any longer, spoke up to explain for Gu Qingxu: "Miss Feng's grandfather was the Grand Tutor, so she naturally learned a lot from a young age. She knows far more than we do. Therefore, it is quite normal for Miss Gu not to be able to answer correctly."
As soon as he spoke, everyone around him turned their attention to him. Gu Qingxu was also a little surprised, not expecting that someone would stand up for him.
Everyone seemed to think that the matter could just be left alone, since it was just entertainment and there was no need to make it so tense.
But Feng Rongrong had finally found an opportunity to embarrass Gu Qingxu, so how could she let it go so easily?
She smiled slightly and said without backing down, "That makes sense, but if Miss Gu really can't answer it, then I'll reluctantly tell you the second half."
After saying that, he deliberately shook his head slightly, his eyes full of contempt.
Such blatant provocation could not be ignored by Gu Qingxu. She was an impatient person by nature and had never been bullied before.
When had she ever been targeted so blatantly? Her face turned cold, and she was about to get up and retort.
Just then, Yi Mingyu, who was standing beside her, stood up first and said in a steady voice, "I will take over the poem for Miss Gu."
Immediately afterwards, with a calm expression, he spoke without hesitation: "The withered leaves have become the paper, and the brushstrokes will shine upon them."
His voice was deep and powerful, like a resounding bell, echoing in the courtyard. As he spoke, he slowly explained the meaning behind his words.
For a moment, the courtyard was extremely quiet, with only his deep, clear voice echoing in the air.
Gu Qingxu couldn't help but look up. At this moment, Yi Mingyu was backlit, and the sunlight shone on him, outlining his tall and straight figure. The warm light shone on his back, as if gilding him with a layer of golden radiance, which made her a little dazzled for a moment.
She had seen him cowering in a haystack after being bullied and beaten, and she had seen him looking embarrassed because he couldn't find his purse. But this calm and composed demeanor was something she had never seen before.
This sudden change left Gu Qingxu somewhat stunned.
When Feng Rongrong saw Yi Mingyu standing up for Gu Qingsu, she was taken aback and felt very indignant. Who would take his place? She was about to speak up.
"I came here with Miss Gu, so it is not inappropriate for me to respond to her poem," Yi Mingyu said calmly, nodding slightly, and speaking with neither arrogance nor servility.
These words were like a boulder, completely blocking Feng Rongrong's attempts to refute them.
For a moment, everyone agreed with Yi Mingyu's words, except for Feng Rongrong, whose face turned extremely ugly. She had originally thought that Yi Mingyu had come because of her previous invitation, and was secretly pleased, but what Yi Mingyu said just now completely shattered her illusions.
At this moment, his standing up for Gu Qingxu made her appear as the petty and narrow-minded person.
The passing of poems continued, and Yi Mingyu slowly sat down. Gu Qingxu wanted to say something to express her gratitude, but the words just wouldn't come out.
Her lips parted slightly, she hesitated several times as if she wanted to say something, and a rare sense of unease arose within her. Her hands unconsciously rubbed the hem of her skirt, her eyes darting away, unusually avoiding direct eye contact with Yi Mingyu.
Just as she was struggling with this decision, she suddenly realized that Ruan Xingzhu had not yet returned. A wave of worry washed over her, and she quickly got up to go find her.
When Yi Mingyu saw Gu Qingxu get up, she quickly followed suit, assuming that he also had something to do, so she didn't pay much attention to it.
After getting up and taking a few steps, Gu Qingxu discovered that Yi Mingyu was following closely behind her.
She stopped and turned around to look. But it didn't matter that she didn't stop. Upon hearing this, Yi Mingyu, who was about to follow, suddenly tightened his pace and almost bumped into Gu Qingsu.
Gu Qingxu turned around and saw Yi Mingyu standing close by. Her pupils widened involuntarily, and her mind went completely blank.
Yi Mingyu blinked. Gu Qingxu's skin texture was so clearly visible. His hand hanging at his side twitched involuntarily, and his Adam's apple bobbed dryly.
Sensing the approaching distance, Gu Qingxu quickly came to her senses and took a half step back to create some distance between them.
"I'm going to find Sister Xingzhu, why are you following me?" she asked, looking up at him.
Yi Mingyu swallowed hard. He didn't know why he was following her. He just got up when she got up because he was used to it.
At this moment, he looked somewhat evasive, as if he dared not look directly at Gu Qingxu.
"I'll go with you." His voice was low and weak, as if he was afraid that Gu Qingxu would refuse him.
Gu Qingxu was about to say that she would be fine, but when she saw Yi Mingyu, who was clearly half a head taller than her, shrinking back as if afraid of being rejected, she wondered if she had misunderstood. She didn't say anything more and let him follow.
Behind the courtyard is a clear pond, with weeping willows swaying gently in the wind.
Ruan Xingzhu finished urinating and was about to tidy her clothes when the purse at her waist suddenly fell off and rolled to the edge of the pond.
There are several large, uneven rocks by the pond, covered with moss and looking extremely slippery.
As Ruan Xingzhu walked over, she was very careful, taking each step with extreme caution. From a distance, her figure appeared somewhat shaky.
Just as she was about to touch the purse, her foot suddenly slipped, and Ruan Xingzhu, flustered, fell uncontrollably.
Feeling uneasy, just as she was about to stumble, a large, strong hand steadily steadied her.
"Be careful, young lady." A voice came from beside her ear, and Ruan Xingzhu was momentarily stunned.
After regaining her balance, Ruan Xingzhu felt a warmth emanating from her shoulder and realized that the man's hand was holding her arm. No one had ever been so close to her except Gu Yun'an, and feeling a little uncomfortable, she quickly moved away, taking a half-step back to separate herself from him, looking somewhat timid.
Upon seeing this, Liang Yejing quickly released his hand from hers and hurriedly said, "I'm sorry, I was rude."
He hadn't thought things through in the emergency, and now seeing Ruan Xingzhu's timid appearance, he realized he had indeed been rude.
Upon hearing this, Ruan Xingzhu simply shook her head slightly without saying a word, and lowered her head slightly to avoid looking at him.
When Ruan Xingzhu saw him move, she thought he had left and was about to pick up her purse when the man picked it up from the edge of the stone and handed it to her.
"This is your purse, young lady."
Ruan Xingzhu hesitated for a moment. Liang Yejing was tall and slender, more than a head taller than her. He was dressed in a pure white robe, the hem of which fluttered in the wind, making him look gentle and refined.
However, because of what happened some time ago, Ruan Xingzhu was still somewhat wary of men.
Seeing that Ruan Xingzhu didn't move, Liang Yejing was a little puzzled. He then handed the purse forward a little more, and Ruan Xingzhu quickly looked away and took the purse. However, she kept her distance from him throughout the process.
Ruan Xingzhu patted the dust off her purse, paused for a moment, and then realized that her reaction was too extreme. She was about to look up and express her gratitude.
But then she saw Gu Qingxu running towards her. Gu Qingxu had been searching for her all the way here, and when she saw Ruan Xingzhu standing motionless by the pond, she couldn't help but walk over quickly.
She walked up to Ruan Xingzhu and couldn't help but ask, "Xingzhu, what are you doing here?"
When Ruan Xingzhu saw the two of them looking for her, she realized that she had been out for quite some time, so she quickly explained, "I left my purse by the pond, which is why I was delayed."
"Where did it fall? I'll pick it up for you." With that, Gu Qingxu started walking towards the pond.
Ruan Xingzhu quickly reached out and grabbed her, revealing the purse in her hand, and said with a smile, "No need, Fifth Sister, I've already found it."
After saying that, she turned around and looked for the person who had picked up her purse, but the person was already gone. Ruan Xingzhu felt a little guilty; she had misunderstood the person and hadn't even thanked them.
Following behind Gu Qingxu, Ruan Xingzhu noticed that Gu Qingxu hadn't returned to their previous spot. She couldn't help but ask, "Fifth Sister, aren't we going back to play?"
Gu Qingxu paused, not mentioning what had just happened to Ruan Xingzhu, but simply said, "It was all just poetry and prose, so boring!"
She wrinkled her nose, her face showing impatience, and said in a tone full of disdain.
Gu Qingxu thought for a moment, then turned to look at Ruan Xingzhu and said, "If you want to go, let Yi Mingyu go with you."
"No, if Fifth Sister isn't going, then I don't want to go either," Ruan Xingzhu said with a smile. She had come with Gu Qingxu, so naturally she would go wherever Gu Qingxu went.
Gu Qingxu paused for a moment, then looked at Yi Mingyu. After all, she had heard Feng Rongrong mention inviting him, and she thought he might want to go.
Just as she was about to speak, Gu Qingxu heard Yi Mingyu speak first.
"I'm not going either." Yi Mingyu quickly waved his hand to indicate his intention. He had come with Gu Qingxu, so there was no reason for him to stay now that Gu Qingxu had left.
Gu Qingxu was speechless for a moment. For some reason, she suddenly remembered what Ruan Xingzhu had said when they were looking for her earlier: that he wanted to be with her. Her expression tightened inexplicably, but she simply nodded.
Ruan Xingzhu noticed something was off about Gu Qingsu's behavior, but she didn't say anything.
After strolling around the streets, when it was time to return to the Gu residence, Yi Mingyu insisted on escorting the two girls to the Gu residence, claiming that it was inappropriate for the two young ladies to travel alone.
Gu Qingxu couldn't help but smile inwardly upon hearing this, and wanted to refute it. After all, he was the one who helped him when he was beaten and forced to hide in a haystack. How could there be any danger on such a short distance?
However, remembering that Yi Mingyu had helped her today, although she was somewhat unwilling, she didn't say much and let him do as he pleased.
Yi Mingyu escorted Ruan Xingzhu to the gate of the Gu residence, and Ruan Xingzhu went inside first. Seeing Yi Mingyu's figure almost gone, Gu Qingxu hesitated for a long time before finally calling out to him.
"Yi Mingyu." Her voice wasn't loud, but it sounded exceptionally clear in the silence.
Hearing the call, Yi Mingyu turned around and looked at her. Just as he was about to ask Gu Qingxu if there was anything else,
Gu Qingxu quickly said, "Thank you for today!"
After saying that, she turned around and hurriedly went through the door before Yi Mingyu could react.
Yi Mingyu was a little stunned. This was the first time Gu Qingsu had thanked him. In the past, she had always scolded and disliked him.
Does this mean that she has given him a small measure of approval? This feeling is strange and hard to describe, yet it left him feeling restless for a long time.
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