Chapter 43 is not a pretense.
Ever since Gu Qingxu and Yuan Heran had a pleasant conversation, Cheng Shi stopped pressing the issue of Gu Qingxu and Yi Mingyu's feigned relationship.
Gu Qingxu was finally freed from confinement and was now truly free.
Once she was outside, she couldn't sit still and kept thinking about going out again.
"You said you wanted to come out and have fun, but there are so many fun places in the capital. Why do you have to come to this bookish bookstore?" Gu Qingxu held a book as a fan and fanned his face, his face full of helplessness and shaking his head.
Why did I have to come to this boring bookstore of all places?
Seeing Gu Qingsu's reaction, Ruan Xingzhu turned around with a fawning smile on her face and said, "It's so hot here, the bookstore is quiet."
Actually, it wasn't that she wanted to come to the bookstore, but before leaving, Madam Cheng specifically instructed her not to let Gu Qingxu get involved in those low-class entertainments. She had no choice but to beg Gu Qingxu to say that she wanted to come to the bookstore.
Hearing this, Gu Qingxu did indeed feel a chill in the air, but she still urged, "Alright, alright, then hurry up and choose." Gu Qingxu always felt uncomfortable in this bookstore, and the way she fanned the books in her hand couldn't help but speed up.
"Okay, then I'll go upstairs and take a look." With that, Ruan Xingzhu quickly went upstairs alone.
The books upstairs were more than twice as many as downstairs, densely packed onto the shelves. Ruan Xingzhu moved among the bookshelves, her slender fingers gently tracing the pages. She flipped through some, but couldn't find what she was looking for. After all, the Gu family had a vast collection of books, and she had read most of them.
What she wanted to find was something that the Gu family didn't have, so that she could glimpse a different world outside.
As she was carefully searching, Ruan Xingzhu suddenly spotted a book she had never seen before on the bookshelf. Her eyes lit up, and an uncontrollable joy flashed across her face. She quickly reached out to take it, but just as she was about to pull it out, the book seemed to be held back by an invisible force, and she couldn't lift it no matter what she did.
Full of suspicion, Ruan Xingzhu subconsciously looked down and saw a large, well-defined hand pressing the book down firmly, clearly not wanting her to take it.
"This is the one I chose first." She pouted slightly, her eyes showing a hint of determination.
After all, it's not easy to find a different kind of book, and I really don't want to give it up.
Upon hearing this, the other person frowned slightly, still holding the book firmly in their hand, but tilted their head slightly, their voice low and indifferent: "Miss, this is my book."
Ruan Xingzhu didn't quite hear what he said; her gaze was drawn to the other person's slowly emerging head. Upon recognizing him, she exclaimed in surprise, "Young Master Liang!"
Liang Yejing paused slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in his usually calm eyes. He clearly hadn't expected to encounter Ruan Xingzhu here.
At this moment, his frown instantly turned into a faint smile, but his voice was not as calm as before, and trembled slightly: "Miss Ruan."
Ruan Xingzhu nodded slightly, pondered for a moment, and then remembered that she seemed to have heard Liang Yejing say that the book was his.
Thinking of this, she quickly withdrew her hand, a look of apology on her face: "I'm sorry, I didn't know this was Young Master Liang's book."
She lowered her head slightly, her long eyelashes fluttering, as if she were a little embarrassed.
Liang Yejing smiled and shook his head, saying gently, "It's nothing."
Seeing Liang Yejing pick up the book, Ruan Xingzhu's eyes were filled with reluctance. After hesitating for a moment, she asked softly, "May I ask where you found this book, Young Master Liang?"
As she spoke, she looked intently at him, her face slightly flushed from the heat, her mouth slightly open, and her eyes filled with anticipation.
But she was unaware of how alluring she looked. Seeing her like this, Liang Yejing was slightly lost in thought, and his Adam's apple inexplicably felt dry, whether from the dry weather or something else.
To avoid arousing suspicion, he quickly glanced down at the book in his hand and explained, "This is my own book, published by the Imperial Academy. It's not currently available in bookstores."
Upon hearing that the bookstore did not have the book, the light of knowledge searching in Ruan Xingzhu's eyes dimmed, and her voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz: "I see."
She bit her lower lip slightly, her face looking somewhat disappointed. Her flushed cheeks had also paled a bit, as if the heat had subsided.
Seeing how much Ruan Xingzhu liked the book, Liang Yejing's heart stirred. After hesitating for a moment, he said, "If you like it, I can borrow it from you for a few days."
As he spoke, he carefully examined Ruan Xingzhu's face, his eyes filled with trepidation, as if afraid she would refuse.
Upon seeing this, Ruan Xingzhu's eyes suddenly lit up, filled with surprise and joy. She asked hesitantly, "Really?"
Seeing her so happy and her smile return, Liang Yejing felt a surge of warmth in his heart. He replied in a low, gentle voice, "Yes, as long as you return it to me after you've finished reading it."
As he spoke, he handed the book to Ruan Xingzhu with both hands.
Ruan Xingzhu was overjoyed and took the book, her eyes crinkling as she smiled and said, "Thank you very much, Young Master Liang."
Seeing her like this, Liang Yejing felt inexplicably embarrassed. A faint smile appeared on his face, and he said gently, "Miss Ruan, you're too kind."
Looking at the book in her hands, Ruan Xingzhu raised her eyes and said cheerfully, "Don't worry, Young Master Liang, I'll bring it to you as soon as I've finished reading it." She hugged the book tightly with both hands and made her promise.
Liang Yejing didn't really listen to what she said, but seeing the joy on her face made him inexplicably happy too. He then responded softly, his eyes full of smiles.
downstairs.
Gu Qingxu was really bored, so she got up listlessly and flipped through the bookshelves, trying to pass the time while waiting for Ruan Xingzhu to finish choosing. She would flip through this book and glance at that book from time to time, her eyes showing indifference.
Yi Mingyu had barely stepped into the bookstore when he glanced up and saw Gu Qingsu picking and choosing books from the shelves.
In an instant, he seemed to be frozen in place, his feet suddenly stopping, and he stood there motionless, as if he suddenly couldn't walk.
He stared wide-eyed, blinked a few times, and then realized he wasn't mistaken; the person really was Gu Qingxu.
She was wearing a light pink silk dress today, with delicate floral embroidery on the hem. She looked rather gentle and graceful; it was rare to see her like this. Her emotions, which had finally calmed down, suddenly became a jumbled mess again. For a moment, she was caught between a rock and a hard place, unsure whether to advance or retreat.
After casually flipping through a few books, Gu Qingxu lost interest and was about to take a storybook to pass the time when she turned around and saw Yi Mingyu standing motionless at the entrance.
After a few days apart, Yi Mingyu was still wearing a light blue brocade robe, looking every bit the scholar.
She paused slightly, not surprised that he was there; after all, Yi Mingyu, being a scholar, was extremely familiar with these places. But could he possibly think she had deliberately bumped into him here?
Seeing Gu Qingxu's gaze, Yi Mingyu's already flustered mind became even more disoriented, like a kite with a broken string. He hesitated for a moment, took a deep breath, and then braced himself and walked in.
His voice was a little hoarse as he called out, "Miss Gu."
"Um……"
Gu Qingxu hesitated for a moment and responded softly, feeling somewhat at a loss for words.
The carefree and unrestrained woman who used to be around Yi Mingyu now seemed subtly uneasy. She turned slightly to the side, unconsciously fiddling with the book in her hand.
Seeing that Gu Qingsu was not in a good mood and seemed unwilling to talk to him, Yi Mingyu couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.
But he really wanted to talk to her, so he took the initiative to start a conversation: "Miss Gu, are you here to buy books too?"
"Hmm." Gu Qingxu gave another soft "hmm," her voice still indifferent, as if she wasn't interested in what he was saying.
Seeing Gu Qingxu's cold reaction, Yi Mingyu felt a deep sense of dejection. After thinking for a moment, he brought up yesterday's events and awkwardly expressed his gratitude, saying, "Thank you very much for your help yesterday, Miss Gu."
As he spoke, his eyes were lowered, as if he dared not look Gu Qingxu in the eye, his face showing a hint of shyness and gratitude. Although what happened yesterday was not something to be proud of, he felt it wouldn't hurt to say it now so that he could have a few more words with Gu Qingxu.
"You're welcome, it was nothing," Gu Qingxu replied calmly.
After saying that, Gu Qingxu fell silent.
Seeing this, Yi Mingyu couldn't help but recall her meeting with the young master of the Yuan family. After much hesitation and inner turmoil, he finally couldn't help but ask hesitantly, "Um, were Miss Gu and Young Master Yuan... meeting for a date?"
His heart pounded as he asked the question, anxiously awaiting Gu Qingxu's answer.
Gu Qingxu's fingers, which were turning the pages of the book, suddenly paused. She hadn't expected Yi Mingyu to bring this up again. She couldn't help but wonder why he was asking this. Did he want to confirm whether she would pester him?
Raising her eyes slightly, Gu Qingxu deliberately replied readily, "Yes, that's right."
Her voice was clear and loud, with a hint of stubbornness in her tone.
Hearing Gu Qingxu's decisive response, Yi Mingyu felt as if an invisible sword had pierced his heart. He slowly lowered his eyelashes, as if trying to hide the disappointment and sadness that was about to overflow in his eyes. His once bright eyes were now shrouded in gloom.
"Then... are you pretending?" After a while, Yi Mingyu asked again, as if possessed.
As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized what he had said, but it was too late to take them back. He was filled with remorse and clenched his fists nervously.
"Huh?" Gu Qingxu asked, puzzled, and blurted out unconsciously.
Seeing Yi Mingyu's expression, she hesitated for a moment, wondering if Yi Mingyu was asking her this to find out if she had really been set up with someone, in order to determine whether she would pester him.
Thinking this, a surge of anger welled up in Gu Qingxu's heart, and her voice unconsciously rose as she uttered two words crisply: "No."
Gu Qingsu's resolute voice struck Yi Mingyu's eardrums like a heavy hammer. A look of stunned silence appeared in his eyes, and he stood frozen in place as if struck by lightning. His hands, hanging at his sides, clenched unconsciously, his knuckles turning white from the force.
If it's not feigned, then it must be real.
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