Chapter 13 Accompanying oneself to view the photos
The next day, a few rays of light shone through the window onto Ruan Xingzhu's bed. The first person she saw when she woke up was Gu Qingxu.
"Fifth sister..." Ruan Xingzhu rubbed her eyes, her voice soft and sleepy.
As soon as Gu Qingxu saw Ruan Xingzhu wake up, her previously listless expression instantly became energetic. She had rushed over early this morning, but Ruan Xingzhu hadn't woken up yet, so she didn't want to wake her up directly and could only wait quietly by her side.
Seeing that Ruan Xingzhu had finally opened her eyes, she couldn't help but lean forward. She first gently touched Ruan Xingzhu's forehead, then looked her up and down to make sure she was alright before saying, "Xingzhu, you're finally awake."
Ruan Xingzhu was a little confused by her series of actions. Just as she was wondering, she heard Gu Qingxu say excitedly, "Let me tell you, I was originally planning to go find that guy surnamed You today and teach him a lesson to vent your anger."
At this point, Gu Qingxu's eyebrows furrowed, her eyes filled with anger, and her clenched fists looked as if she was about to strike at any moment.
Then she changed the subject, a hint of pleasure on her face, and said mysteriously, "But guess what?"
"That man surnamed You was found dead in the street. I heard he was beaten to death by a drunkard in the middle of the night. It's true that evil people get their just deserts; he deserves to die."
Hearing Gu Qingsu's righteous words, Ruan Xingzhu's heart tightened, and her gaze unconsciously narrowed. She knew about You Yemeng's death even before Gu Qingsu did.
She knew the truth all too well: You Yemeng wasn't beaten to death by some drunkard at all; Gu Yun'an had personally killed him with a single stab to avenge her. Her thoughts immediately drifted back to that scene, her heart filled with mixed emotions.
Seeing Ruan Xingzhu's absent-minded look, Gu Qingsu frowned slightly and asked with concern, "Xingzhu, what are you thinking about?"
Ruan Xingzhu snapped out of her daze and quickly said, "It's nothing, I was just a little shocked to hear such a big thing after I just woke up."
As he spoke, he deliberately made a startled expression.
Gu Qingxu nodded in deep agreement, looking as if she felt the same way.
Ruan Xingzhu felt a little guilty when she thought about how Gu Yun'an had killed You Yemeng for her sake, but she had only completed half of the reward she had promised him.
So after Gu Qingxu left, she took out the purse she was halfway through sewing, quickened her pace, carefully finished sewing the purse, and prepared to give it to Gu Yun'an.
At Huaiju, Gu Yun'an was enjoying a rare day off. At this moment, he was dressed in a light blue casual robe and sat quietly in the pavilion.
Sunlight filtered through the dappled leaves, casting a serene glow upon him, like a tranquil painting. An old, worn-out table lay open on the desk, while wisps of smoke rose from a nearby stove, filling the air with the aroma of tea.
As soon as Ruan Xingzhu entered Huaiju, she saw him in this state from afar. She originally intended to walk straight over, but after taking just one step, she changed her mind. The corners of her mouth turned up slightly, and a sly glint flashed in her eyes. She planned to go to the back and give Gu Yun'an a surprise.
Gu Yun'an was focused on the files when his ears twitched slightly, alerting him to Ruan Xingzhu's arrival. He chuckled inwardly, a slight smile playing on his lips, but outwardly he pretended to be nonchalant, continuing to read the files and playing along with her little trick.
Ruan Xingzhu tiptoed cautiously toward Gu Yun'an, each step as light as a cat's. She quietly stopped behind Gu Yun'an, her eyes darting around, her hands poised to strike.
She leaned forward slightly, quickly reached out and slapped his broad shoulder hard, calling out in a clear voice, "Fourth Brother!"
Before she could even see if Gu Yun'an was frightened, her foot slipped and she fell uncontrollably toward Gu Yun'an.
She exclaimed in surprise, "Ahhhhh!"
Just as she thought she was about to fall to the ground, her arm was suddenly pulled by a strong force, followed by a tightening around her waist as a strong hand firmly gripped her. The next second, she felt the world spin, and with a twist, she landed steadily in Gu Yun'an's arms.
Ruan Xingzhu was still somewhat shaken, her chest heaving as she stared blankly at Gu Yun'an's lowered face.
Gu Yun'an smiled, his eyes full of doting affection, and with a slight upturn of his lips, he teased, "Xingzhu really gave your brother quite a fright."
The teasing voice made Ruan Xingzhu's face flush red instantly, from her ears all the way to the roots of her neck. She was both embarrassed and annoyed, and couldn't help but squirm, saying coquettishly, "Fourth Brother..."
Ruan Xingzhu's soft body gently rubbed against Gu Yun'an's legs, an unintentional movement that made Gu Yun'an's throat dry.
He felt his throat was a little dry and managed to say with difficulty, "Okay, I shouldn't have laughed at Xingzhu."
Upon hearing this, Ruan Xingzhu slightly propped herself up and took out a carefully sewn purse from her sleeve. The purse was dark blue, embroidered with pear and crabapple blossoms in springtime. The needlework was delicate, and the flowers were lifelike, perfectly matching Gu Yun'an's temperament.
Gu Yun'an saw the purse and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. He couldn't help but ask, "It's sewn so quickly?"
He remembered that the last time he entered her room, the purse was only half-finished.
Ruan Xingzhu paused slightly, remembering that she had been sewing this purse until midnight the night before, and her eyes were sore from staying up so long. But she didn't want Gu Yun'an to know, so she quickly handed the purse to him.
"Fourth brother, take a look! Do you like it?"
“I like anything Xingzhu makes.” Gu Yun’an took the purse and couldn’t help but pat her head.
With something new in his hand, Gu Yun'an rubbed the new purse. Watching her small mouth open and close, he couldn't help but recall that night's fleeting taste.
It really haunted his thoughts for quite a while, causing him to have a sleepless night for the past few nights.
Ruan Xingzhu didn't notice Gu Yun'an's gaze, but suddenly remembered something and quickly said, "Fourth brother, there's something I want to tell you."
His thoughts were suddenly interrupted. Gu Yun'an took a sip of tea and cleared his throat. "Speak."
Ruan Xingzhu hesitated for a moment when she thought of this, but still said, "It's just that... Madam Fang said yesterday that there is a suitable young man and asked if I wanted to go and see him."
Madam Fang was the wife of the tutor at the Gu family's private school, and she only visited once or twice a month. She was kind and approachable, and perhaps because Madam Fang wasn't a daughter of the Gu family, she dared to be close to Madam Fang.
Yesterday, she came to deliver some things and suddenly brought up her coming-of-age ceremony. She also mentioned that she knew a nice young man who was preparing for his wedding night and asked if she wanted to meet him.
Gu Yun'an frowned almost imperceptibly, but his tone remained unchanged: "Does Xingzhu want to go?"
Ruan Xingzhu was, after all, a young woman, and a bit shy. She had no parents to ask, so she had no choice but to ask Gu Yun'an. At this moment, she pursed her lips, somewhat embarrassed to express her opinion.
Seeing that Gu Yun'an was still waiting for her answer, Ruan Xingzhu didn't want to miss this opportunity, so she asked in a slightly hesitant voice, "Then can Fourth Brother come with me?"
She thought that since elders would accompany her when she went to meet potential partners, she also wanted someone to help her make the right choice.
With his hand tightly gripping the purse, Gu Yun'an remained silent. Looking at Ruan Xingzhu's expectant expression, he suddenly curled his lips into a deep voice.
"Of course."
"Really?" Ruan Xingzhu exclaimed excitedly.
She thought Gu Yun'an would refuse her because he was busy with official duties, but then she asked timidly, "Wouldn't that take up Fourth Brother's time?"
Suddenly, her nose was gently stroked by warm fingers. Gu Yun'an ran his fingers along the bridge of her nose and said affectionately, "Even if Fourth Brother is very busy, he will still squeeze out some for Xingzhu."
Something seemed to gently prick her heart, and Ruan Xingzhu was somewhat stunned. Gu Yun'an was truly good to her. She smiled faintly, but in her heart she was certain that even if she married someone else in the future, she would still come back to see him often.
In preparation for Gu Yun'an to take her to a potential marriage partner, Ruan Xingzhu dressed up carefully the next day. She chose a light pink silk dress.
When Gu Yun'an saw her deliberately dressed up, a hint of displeasure flashed in his eyes, but it quickly disappeared.
Ruan Xingzhu was so engrossed in the joy of meeting her future husband that she was completely unaware of Gu Yun'an's subtle change.
The place arranged by Madam Fang was a famous teahouse in the capital. This teahouse was antique and elegant, with carved beams and painted rafters, and the signboard at the entrance swayed in the wind.
Just as they were about to go upstairs, Sheng Que suddenly whispered something in Gu Yunqing's ear.
Gu Yun'an's expression tightened as Sheng Que spoke, and he looked troubled. He then said, "Xingzhu, your brother has something urgent to attend to and has to leave for a while."
Upon hearing this, Ruan Xingzhu's smile froze, and a hint of helplessness and nervousness flashed in her eyes.
Seeing this, Gu Yun'an quickly comforted her, "You go upstairs first, your brother will be back after he's finished dealing with this." Before leaving, he specifically reminded her, "Don't wander around here, and don't be impolite."
Although Ruan Xingzhu felt a little uneasy, she still obediently nodded and agreed.
Finally, she said somewhat anxiously, "Then my fourth brother will come to find me after he finishes his official business."
Seeing Ruan Xingzhu's nervous expression, Gu Yun'an nodded gently and said, "Don't worry, I'll come as soon as I finish my official business."
After saying that, he left in a hurry.
Watching Gu Yun'an's departing figure, Ruan Xingzhu took a deep breath and, with a heart pounding like a deer's, slowly went upstairs.
After going upstairs, she found a seat by the window and sat down, glancing at the stairwell from time to time, hoping that Gu Yun'an would return soon.
She had just sat down and was about to take a sip of tea to moisten her throat when a tall figure blocked her view.
Ruan Xingzhu subconsciously looked up and saw that the man in front of her was not good-looking, with a slightly muscular build. His appearance was not outstanding, but his features were regular and proper.
The man's voice was rather loud, "You must be Miss Ruan."
Ruan Xingzhu was stunned for a moment before realizing that the other party was the suitor that Madam Fang had found for her. She quickly stood up and softly replied, "Yes, that's me."
As she spoke, Ruan Xingzhu looked behind him but did not see Madam Fang.
While she hesitated, the man introduced himself first: "My name is Shao Qunyin, nice to meet you, young lady."
Ruan Xingzhu smiled politely, nodded immediately, and said softly, "Greetings, Young Master Shao."
Facing an unfamiliar man for the first time, Ruan Xingzhu's heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to jump out of her throat, and her hands unconsciously gripped the hem of her skirt.
Shao Qunyin, however, did not care about Ruan Xingzhu's nervousness and said magnanimously, "Hey, why call me 'Young Master'? That's too formal. Just call me by my name."
Their tone made it sound as if they were old friends who had known each other for many years.
Ruan Xingzhu was momentarily speechless at the other party's posture, and the smile on her face became somewhat stiff. She opened her mouth, but didn't know how to respond.
Shao Qunyin didn't stand on ceremony. He picked up the teapot, poured himself several cups of tea, and drank them all in one gulp. Ruan Xingzhu, who had been thinking of refilling his teacup, silently withdrew her outstretched hand upon seeing this.
After finishing his tea, Shao Qun sat down abruptly, showing no manners whatsoever, and immediately said, "I see that you have a slender figure, I wonder if you are good at bearing children."
Upon hearing this, Ruan Xingzhu's eyes widened in shock, her face clearly showing her astonishment. She never expected that the other party would say such a thing on their first meeting.
Shao Qunyin seemed oblivious to Ruan Xingzhu's odd behavior, and continued to evade the question, saying, "Well, it's not that I care about that, it's just that my mother is a bit anxious to have a grandson, otherwise she wouldn't have asked me to come and find a match."
Ruan Xingzhu's smile vanished, replaced by an awkward, forced smile as she maintained her politeness. When Shao Qun mentioned for the umpteenth time that it was his mother who had said it, she finally couldn't resist any longer.
Seeing that Gu Yun'an showed no sign of coming, she felt reassured and quickly made an excuse to leave.
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