Chapter 52 Children's words are innocent
Upon hearing Yi Mingze's words, Yi Mingyu was struck dumb, his face turning deathly pale, his eyes filled with terror.
He instinctively reached out and quickly covered Yi Mingze's mouth, his movements somewhat flustered, and hurriedly said, "Children say things without thinking, children say things without thinking..."
His voice trembled slightly, clearly quite frightened by Yi Mingze's words.
Gu Qingxu was also stunned by these words, as if she had been frozen in place. Her body stiffened instantly, and a trace of unease flashed across her eyes. She was about to echo them.
However, taking advantage of Yi Mingyu's momentary lapse in concentration, Yi Mingze broke free from his grasp and loudly proclaimed, "No, it's not true. It was Mother who said that my elder brother's ideal woman is someone with an extraordinary temperament, a cool and aloof demeanor, and a tall and slender figure."
Upon hearing this, Yi Mingyu's expression became even more flustered. He reached out again and tightly covered Yi Mingze's mouth, while loudly calling for a servant and urgently saying, "Quickly, take the young master back!"
He was afraid that if he said another word, Gu Qingxu would realize his feelings, and the relationship that had just been eased would become distant again.
After Yi Mingze was taken away, Yi Mingyu tried hard to calm himself down and force himself not to panic.
He took a deep breath, trying to compose himself, but every time he glanced at Gu Qingxu, his eyes would involuntarily dart away, unable to meet her gaze. He lowered his head slightly, his eyes wandering, his hands unconsciously clenching and unclenching at his sides.
Gu Qingxu tried her best to maintain a calm expression on the surface, but her heart was in turmoil. Her heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was about to burst out of her chest.
Although she was panicking inside, Yi Mingyu's unusual behavior was too obvious, as if it were written all over his face, making it impossible for her not to notice. So why was he so flustered? It was because...
Gu Qingxu didn't know when she returned to the Gu residence in a daze. As soon as she stepped into the gate, the perceptive Ruan Xingzhu noticed something was wrong.
Ruan Xingzhu tilted her head slightly, looked Gu Qingxu up and down, a hint of slyness in her eyes, and said with a grin, "Fifth Sister seems so absent-minded, could it be that you went to look for Young Master Yi?"
Gu Qingxu's joyful yet depressed and complicated expression upon his return led her to speculate as much.
Upon hearing this, Gu Qingxu was startled. Without thinking, she reflexively retorted loudly.
Where?
Her voice unconsciously rose a few decibels, as if she was eager to distance herself. Her eyes darted away, avoiding Ruan Xingzhu's gaze.
Seeing Gu Qingxu's strong reaction, Ruan Xingzhu became even more certain of her suspicions. She raised an eyebrow, a meaningful smile playing on her lips, and asked again, "Fifth Sister, you really don't?"
Ruan Xingzhu's question left Gu Qingxu speechless for a moment. She opened her mouth but didn't know how to answer, so she could only remain silent, a hint of embarrassment on her face.
"Fifth Sister, why don't you talk to Young Master Yi about it? Maybe he'll fall for you too?" Ruan Xingzhu blinked, tilted her head, and thought about it seriously before speaking.
Having pondered the question all the way here, Ruan Xingzhu suddenly brought it up again, which made Gu Qingxu's heart stir. She couldn't help but ask in confusion, "Why do you say that?"
After all, in her impression, Yi Mingyu, with his refined and scholarly appearance, shouldn't he, as Feng Rongrong said, like quiet and gentle girls?
Thinking this, Yi Mingze's words, which Yi Mingyu had dismissed as innocent childish remarks, echoed in her mind again. If this description applied, wasn't it exactly herself?
"Then, Fifth Sister, why did Young Master Yi shield you from the knife so quickly?" Ruan Xingzhu narrowed her eyes slightly, analyzing the situation carefully.
"Moreover, when Young Master Yi heard that Fifth Sister had gone to have a marriage proposal, he was eager to go find you."
In fact, Ruan Xingzhu was already suspicious of Yi Mingyu's unusual behavior towards Gu Qingsu at that time. Now, hearing that he had taken a knife for Gu Qingsu, her suspicions deepened even more.
Moreover, Yi Mingyu has always been kind to Gu Qingxu, never fighting back or arguing back, and always obeying her every word. No matter how you look at it, he treats Gu Qingxu differently.
Hearing Ruan Xingzhu's analysis, Gu Qingxu was shocked. There was too much information at once. She was stunned for a moment, and carefully recalled her previous beating and scolding of Yi Mingyu. It seemed that she had indeed crossed the line of a normal relationship.
For several days in a row, Gu Qingxu locked herself in her room, not leaving the house, thinking about the matter over and over again, but she couldn't figure it out, let alone come up with a solution.
Just then, Yuan Heran came to invite her, saying that a new restaurant had opened in the capital, which he found very interesting, and invited her to go and take a look.
Gu Qingxu thought that perhaps it was because she hadn't been out for a long time and her mind was getting stuffy, which was why she kept thinking about Yi Mingyu. Going out for some fresh air might improve her mood, so she agreed.
Just as he arrived at the entrance of the restaurant, before he could even go inside, Yuan Heran was hurriedly summoned by his servant.
The servant whispered a few words in Yuan Heran's ear, and Yuan Heran's expression changed slightly. He looked apologetic and said to Gu Qingxu, "I'm really sorry, there's been a problem with a business deal we discussed earlier. The other party said they need to go back early, and I need to sign the contract ahead of schedule."
Seeing this, Gu Qingxu quickly waved her hand and urged him, "Go on, after all, official business comes first, and there will always be opportunities to join in the fun."
"Then I'll come back as soon as I'm done." Yuan Heran calculated the time and felt that he should be able to get back to be with her.
“Okay.” Gu Qingxu readily agreed.
After Yuan Heran left, Gu Qingxu walked alone towards the restaurant, wondering what new tricks this new restaurant had up its sleeve.
However, just as she was about to reach the restaurant, a sudden cry pierced the air: "Miss Gu, be careful!"
Immediately afterwards, she felt a tremendous force suddenly strike her, quickly pulling her away.
Almost at the same time, a potted plant fell heavily to the spot where she had just been standing with a "bang," the pot shattering into pieces and splattering soil everywhere.
Immediately, the restaurant owner heard the noise and rushed out of the shop.
He jogged over, his face full of anxiety and apology: "I'm so sorry, we didn't secure it properly, which caused the flowerpot to fall. Whatever compensation the young lady wants, we'll pay for it."
After all, he knew in his heart that this was indeed the store's oversight.
It's not really about compensation, but it was definitely careless. If Yi Mingyu hadn't pulled her away in time, she might have hit herself.
Gu Qingxu patted her chest with lingering fear, composed herself, and said, "Compensation isn't necessary, but we still need to take precautions."
Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper hurriedly nodded and bowed, smiling obsequiously, "Yes, yes, you're right, young lady. I've already sent someone to arrange it. After all, the restaurant has just opened, so it's best to be careful."
After saying this, he apologized again before hurriedly leaving to deal with the matter.
Only after the shopkeeper left did Gu Qingxu belatedly realize that Yi Mingyu's hand was still tightly holding hers.
She slowly looked up at the hand that was pulling her, and saw Yi Mingyu with a worried and anxious expression. His brows were tightly furrowed, and his eyes were full of concern. He couldn't hide his emotions at this moment.
Yi Mingyu didn't know what Gu Qingxu was thinking. Seeing that she hadn't spoken, he couldn't help but ask her with concern.
"Are you alright?" His voice was slightly hoarse from nervousness.
Gu Qingsu shook her head, her gaze fixed on Yi Mingyu. His expression now mirrored the anxious worry he had shown when he shielded her from the knife that day, causing a renewed wave of doubt to rise in her heart. So why was he acting this way? Was he truly in love with her?
After confirming that she was alright, Yi Mingyu breathed a sigh of relief. Then, turning his gaze, he suddenly realized that his hand was still tightly holding Gu Qingxu's forearm.
The sensation from her hand sent a slight jolt through him. Gu Qingxu's arm was even more slender than he had imagined. Her usually carefree personality almost made him forget that she was a girl who was a bit taller than the average woman.
Realizing his lapse in composure, Yi Mingyu reacted as if he'd been electrocuted, quickly releasing his grip. A blush instantly spread across his face, his expression became flustered, and his eyes revealed a hint of helplessness. He dared not meet Gu Qingxu's gaze again.
Gu Qingxu quietly observed Yi Mingyu. Normally not good at noticing details, she noticed every change in his expression this time. His eyes narrowed slightly. Why was he panicking? She seemed to have a vague answer, but she couldn't verify its veracity.
After thinking for a moment, Gu Qingxu, as if possessed, mustered up her courage and asked, "Yi Mingyu, is there a woman with a cool and aloof temperament and a tall figure around you?"
"Oh, you? You!" Yi Mingyu didn't think too much about it and blurted out instinctively upon hearing the voice.
In his heart, no one else besides Gu Qingxu fits this description.
But as soon as the words left his mouth, he instantly realized what Yi Mingze had said that day—that this was exactly what his beloved was like. Wasn't this tantamount to indirectly admitting that he was in love with Gu Qingxu?
A blush crept across Yi Mingyu's face. He was somewhat taken aback by Gu Qingsu's question. To avoid misunderstanding, he quickly tried to say that he had misspoke.
Before he could speak, Gu Qingxu said meaningfully, "Is there something you want to say to me?"
These words startled Yi Mingyu, and his heart skipped a beat. He wondered if it was just his imagination, but at that moment, he felt as if Gu Qingxu could see right through him and understand his feelings for her.
Unsure of Gu Qingxu's true intentions, Yi Mingyu hesitated, feeling conflicted. He feared that if he revealed his true feelings, Gu Qingxu would ignore him, especially since she had previously stated that she didn't want to see him again.
After hesitating for a long time, he finally spoke hesitantly, his expression somewhat somber: "No..."
As he spoke, he lowered his head slightly, his eyes glancing at the ground, not daring to look directly into Gu Qingxu's eyes, afraid that she would see through his inner turmoil.
Hearing his words, Gu Qingxu felt a slight sense of disappointment, as if she had been doused with cold water. She had already asked him to this extent, yet Yi Mingyu still had this attitude, making her wonder if everything she had sensed before was just her overthinking.
She tried to make her voice sound normal and pressed again, "Really not?"
Her eyes held a hint of expectation mixed with a touch of trepidation as she stared intently at Yi Mingyu, awaiting his answer.
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