Engagement

Mu An Ning looked at the high wall of the mansion, then looked at the young man, hesitant to speak: "Prince, you..."

Today was her day off, so she didn't need to go to the clinic. And her grandmother had specifically told her not to leave the house today, saying that she had something important to do.

This place is covered with mottled shadows and swaying trees, and is a rare shady spot in the mansion. She happens to pass by it on the way from her courtyard to the main hall.

If she had not heard the sound of the body falling to the ground, she might not have noticed that there was a figure suddenly appearing in the corner.

The young man was wearing clean white clothes today, and he stood tall and straight in the shadow, looking particularly dazzling.

But the hem of his clothes was stained with some mud because of climbing over the wall.

Gu Huaizhi originally planned to enter the mansion through the main gate, but when he saw the woman in festive clothes, he got impatient and climbed over the wall.

Meeting Mu An Ning in the garden was completely unexpected for him.

Being looked at by the girl's eyes as clear as spring water, Gu Huaizhi's breathing became hot and his heart was in a mess.

After a moment, he calmly said what he had prepared, cleared his throat and said, "Aning, my mother misses you."

He missed her, too.

Mu An Ning listened halfway and interrupted the young man: "Prince, I need to go to the front hall."

She looked around, thought for a moment, and added hesitantly, "If the prince has something to do, we can discuss it later."

Madam Mu and Mrs. Xu were both waiting for her in the main hall. She didn't bother to ask why Gu Huaizhi had climbed over the wall and entered the mansion today.

After saying that, Mu An Ning glanced at Bao Qin who had quietly retreated to the side before, and motioned her to come over. They could leave.

"It just so happens that I have nothing to do today." Gu Huaizhi shook his clothes, nodded slightly, and said in a nonchalant tone: "This prince will wait for you here."

Although he said this, he frowned when the girl's slender figure gradually walked away.

As soon as the woman entered the mansion, Mu An Ning was called to the front hall, and judging from her appearance, she seemed a little anxious.

There must be something fishy about this matter.

The image of the woman's attire emerged in Gu Huaizhi's mind, and the more he thought about it, the more he felt that she looked like...a matchmaker.

Although he had never seen a real matchmaker in person, he had heard of one or two from other places.

Gu Huaizhi was full of doubts. He leaned against a tree and thought quietly. He thought it would be better to go and see what Mu An Ning was doing.

Anyway, he was familiar with the Mu Mansion, so he went over to the rooftop to eavesdrop. If the woman was not a matchmaker, he would come back here and wait for Mu An Ning.

The boy thought so and did so.

However, he had only taken a few steps when he was called by a female voice that seemed both surprised and happy.

"Prince?"

Considering that he was in someone else's house, Gu Huaizhi had to stop and slightly side-glance at the person who came.

It was a hot summer day, and there was not even a servant passing by. Gu Huaizhi frowned and looked at the woman in front of him for a moment, then he remembered that she was Mu An Ning's concubine sister.

After calmly putting the things in her hands into her sleeves, Mu Jingyue tidied up the hair stuck to her forehead and carefully adjusted her dress.

She took lotus steps and slowly approached the young man. She bowed with a smile on her face and secretly felt happy: "Why did the prince come to the Marquis' Mansion today?"

I originally thought that it would be extremely difficult to see Gu Huaizhi again, but I didn't expect the opportunity to come so suddenly, and he actually took the initiative to find the Marquis' Mansion.

I haven't seen him for a long time, but he is still as handsome as ever. He is truly one of the men that the girls in Beijing most want to marry.

Although the young man was dressed in white, he was still unrestrained and much more handsome than the men in the south of the Yangtze River.

However, she originally wanted to take advantage of the fact that Old Madam Mu and Madam Xu were busy today to come here to fulfill her aunt's instructions and bury the thing in her sleeve in the soil. Now it seems that she will have to delay.

Gu Huaizhi glanced at Mu Jingyue's sleeves and did not answer her question. Instead, he raised his eyebrows and asked, "Why is Miss Mu San here?"

This woman was alone, without any maids or followers, and no one knew what she was trying to hide.

Facing the boy's scrutinizing gaze, Mu Jingyue's hands hidden in her sleeves trembled unconsciously, but realizing that it was impossible for the boy to notice, she smiled impeccably and said, "I was just going to the front hall and just happened to pass by here."

Mu Jingyue's eyelashes moved, and she suddenly smiled, "Did the prince come to look for my elder sister today?"

Seeing the young man nodded without hesitation, as if he didn't think there was anything wrong, Mu Jingyue's expression froze for a moment.

She originally thought that Gu Huaizhi would deny it with a look of disgust on his face, and she would take this opportunity to belittle Mu An Ning, but she didn't expect that he actually came to see Mu An Ning.

But shouldn't the two of them have nothing to do with each other now, or is it that the man is used to adoring An Ning's pretentious look?

And today she is not...

Thinking of this, Mu Jingyue's frozen mouth corners lifted again: "Prince, are you here to congratulate my elder sister today?"

Gu Huaizhi frowned and didn't react for a moment: "Congratulations?"

Mu Jingyue pursed her lips and smiled, as if she was really happy for her sister: "Yes, my elder sister is getting engaged today."

Judging from Prince Gu's current reaction, he must have been fooled by Mu An Ning and had no idea about this matter.

Then she could only be kind enough to reveal the matter. Who knows, Prince Gu might see through Mu An Ning's true face and be grateful to her.

His guess was confirmed. Gu Huaizhi's ears suddenly rumbled and for a moment he seemed to be frozen.

She is really getting engaged.

"Didn't the prince come here for this?" Looking at the motionless boy, Mu Jingyue blinked in surprise: "Or did the elder sister forget to tell the prince?"

These words touched the young man's heart. Gu Huai glanced at her with a nonchalant smile on his lips: "May I ask Miss Mu San, what does this have to do with you?"

It was not anyone else's business to interfere in what happened between him and Mu An Ning.

*

About half an hour later, Mu An Ning walked back to the shady place and looked around, but did not see Gu Huaizhi.

Just when she thought he had left, she unexpectedly found the boy on a crabapple tree.

Gu Huaizhi loved climbing trees since he was a child. Not only did he climb trees himself, he also often pulled other children along.

She didn't know how old she was, but she vaguely remembered that when she was a child, he carried her to a tree in the palace garden and stayed with her for a full half hour.

She was terrified on that high branch, but even though she knew that Gu Huaizhi was deliberately trying to amuse her, she didn't dare say anything.

Finally, Gu Huaizhi scolded her as a "coward" and then reluctantly carried her down.

Coming out of his memories, Mu An Ning stopped five steps away from the tree.

She looked up at the young man who seemed to be at ease: "My Lord, what did you want to talk to me about earlier?"

Gu Huaizhi, with his hands behind his neck, had heard the noise a long time ago, but for some reason he just wanted to see if she would look for him.

As the girl's footsteps got closer, he gradually saw her face clearly.

There was a faint blush on her fair face, perhaps due to the sun or something else.

After a while, he lightly jumped down from the crabapple tree, taking down pieces of pink crabapple petals.

Gu Huaizhi glanced at Mu An Ning, then glanced around the quiet surroundings. He still had that cynical look on his face, but only he knew the uneasiness in his heart.

His voice was slightly dull: "Aning, I have been waiting for you for a long time."

So long that he thought she would never come back.

He did not go to the front hall; he wanted to hear her tell him in person.

Seeing the boy's strange expression, Mu An Ning's eyebrows moved: "Speaking prince, what's the matter?"

What on earth was going on that was worth him climbing over the wall to get in?

Gu Huaizhi's throat tightened for a moment: "Aning, you..." He paused, and seemed reluctant to say those words: "Engaged?"

Mu An Ning's heart skipped a beat. She had just returned from the front hall and had not mentioned this to anyone. How did Gu Huaizhi know about it?

But it doesn't matter.

Mu An Ning lowered her long eyelashes and nodded slowly.

The darkness in Gu Huaizhi's eyes became even darker. From the girl's calm face, he could not tell what she was feeling at the moment.

But her rosy cheeks were extremely eye-catching.

"Aning, you are deliberately trying to piss me off." Gu Huaizhi smiled a little reluctantly, his tone slightly urgent, as if to verify: "Really?"

She was still as naive as before, and in order to make him pay more attention to her, she accepted the marriage with Tan Wenhuai.

It must be so.

Mu An Ning shook her head, a faint smile appeared on her lips: "Why should I make the prince angry?"

Gu Huaizhi is saying something incomprehensible again.

But Gu Huaizhi didn't seem to listen to her words, and said with a smile: "Aning, even so, you can't get engaged to other men."

"May I ask, my lord, why can't I?" Mu An Ning asked calmly, "Isn't my lord also engaged?"

After saying this, Mu An Ning realized that he had spoken out of turn.

Although she had learned from Mu Wan'er's inner voice that Gu Huaizhi would be engaged to Liu Qingyue, she didn't know when.

She hadn't paid much attention to these things these days, so she didn't know whether this had really happened.

Staring at the girl's slightly furrowed brows, Gu Huaizhi's eyes flickered.

She must still care about him, otherwise how could she know all these gossips.

Gu Huaizhi admired An Ning for a moment before slowly raising his eyebrows: "An Ning, I've only ever been engaged to you."

He came here today because he was afraid that she would believe those rumors.

"Don't make a fuss. Marriage is no joke." Seeing the girl looking at him, Gu Huaizhi's tone became more firm: "Is the matchmaker still in the front hall? I'll take you there to explain it clearly."

Everything should still be in time.

He finished speaking and reached out to grab the girl's slender wrist, as if intending to go directly to the front hall.

Feeling the coolness on his wrist, Mu An Ning was stunned for a moment. Gu Huaizhi's hands were always warm, but today they were unusually cool.

After taking two steps, Mu An Ning came back to her senses. She used a little force to push the boy's hand away, and for a moment she didn't know whether to be angry or laugh.

If she had felt complicated about the engagement before, she was now completely angry and forgot about it after hearing Gu Huaizhi's words.

She didn't expect that Gu Huaizhi also knew that marriage was no joke.

She thought that he never took marriage seriously.

Seeing that the girl remained silent and there seemed to be a hint of sarcasm in her eyes, Gu Huaizhi seemed to realize something and was suddenly filled with fear.

He suddenly grabbed the girl's wrist again, and before she could react, he took her into his arms.

"Aning, don't look at me like that." Gu Huaizhi tried his best to suppress the sourness in his heart and tried to persuade the girl in his arms: "I know you don't really like Tan Wenhuai..."

Mu An Ning interrupted him coldly: "Prince, respect yourself."

He had hardly ever really hugged her before, but now he did something unusual. Fortunately, no one was here, otherwise it would have caused misunderstanding.

Feeling the boy's hand on her waist loosen slightly, Mu An Ning immediately took two steps back and took the opportunity to break free from the boy's arms.

"The marriage is settled." She hesitated for a moment before looking directly into the boy's dark peach blossom eyes: "Whether I like it or not, it has nothing to do with the prince."

*

The next day.

Although it was daytime, there was not a ray of sunlight in the room. Only the flickering candlelight made the boy's handsome face look dim and gloomy.

Gu Huaizhi held the letter in his hand, his eyes gleaming with coldness: "So, who wrote this letter?"

He admitted that he had previously deliberately ignored the abnormality in the letter.

Even in the past, Mu An Ning would never utter such affectionate words to him.

"I have inquired about it. This letter was definitely not written by Miss An Ning." Gu Ji lowered his head and sighed faintly: "It was written by Miss Liu."

He also found it hard to believe.

The maid who delivered the letter that day did not specify who her young lady was, but he and the young master both tacitly thought it was Miss Mu.

After all, Miss Mu had just prescribed medicine for the young master, so it made sense for her to write a letter to show her concern for him.

But this caused a big mistake. After receiving the letter, the young master even wrote a reply to the maid and asked her to take it to her young lady.

Now it is estimated that the letter is in Liu Qingyue's hands. No wonder news has spread in the past two days that the young master is going to be engaged to Miss Liu.

Hearing Gu Ji's answer, Gu Huaizhi's expression froze. Although he had already guessed half of it after what happened yesterday, he still felt unhappy.

There was no signature on the letter. I thought the handwriting was different and that Mu An Ning had asked a maid to write it for him. I didn't expect that he was actually fooled by someone and even enjoyed it.

Apart from giving him that medicine, Mu An Ning really never cared about him again.

Even... got engaged without saying a word.

Gu Huaizhi took a deep breath and stood up suddenly: "Prepare the horses and go to Liu Mansion."

Just as Gu Ji lowered his head to agree, the young man suddenly changed his tone: "No, go to Tan's house."