Peach Blossom

Mu An Ning was startled at first, then he slowly sat back down: "Why did the prince suddenly mention this?"

Gu Huaizhi listened to the girl's calm tone, his eyes fixed on the beautifully blooming crabapple flowers in the garden, not daring to turn around and look directly into her clear and bright eyes: "...You once said that being honest is extremely valuable."

Mu An Ning's eyebrows twitched, somewhat surprised that Gu Huaizhi still remembered this old incident.

But at that time, she said this only because the book said that husband and wife should be honest with each other.

She thought that it was too late for her and Gu Huaizhi to become husband and wife.

Therefore, even though Gu Huaizhi didn't like to hear it, she would often take the initiative to talk to him about the little things in her life, and hoped that he would do the same.

However, he still never mentioned anything about himself, and even often lied to her and broke his promises with some poor excuses.

It was rare to hear the words "be honest with each other" come out of his mouth.

Seeing that the girl was slow to respond, Gu Huaizhi knew that she must be angry, so he dared to glance sideways. However, the girl's calm expression was completely beyond his expectations.

"Aning." Gu Huaizhi's throat rolled, and he suddenly felt a little dry. The heavy burden in his heart made him breathless: "I lied to you, aren't you angry?"

Before he came to the Mu Mansion, he had already prepared himself to be glared at by the girl.

But why did she look so unsurprised and unperturbed?

In this case, the countermeasures he had prepared earlier would be completely useless.

Mu An Ning thought about it for a long while, then shook her head gently, raised the corners of her lips and smiled in relief: "Why should I be angry? The prince also said that those were words my daughter said before, and you don't have to take it seriously."

In fact, she had already guessed half of it.

When she gave Gu Huaizhi some cold-relieving herbs that day, his reaction made her suspicious. He clearly didn't have a cold, but he still said he would take the medicine well.

Add to that the look on Jiangli's face that day, as if he was playing with people in the palm of his hand, and the truth is self-evident.

Although she wanted to thank him properly, he came and went without a trace. After they parted that day, he never showed up again, so she put the matter behind her for a while.

The girl in front of him was clearly smiling, but Gu Huaizhi felt a sharp pain in his heart, as if he had been kicked in a sore spot, but he was powerless to do anything.

What do you mean don't take it seriously?

She wanted to draw a clear line between them completely, and even told him not to take what she had said in the past seriously.

"But I took it seriously." Gu Huaizhi pulled the corners of his lips indifferently. Although she didn't blame him, he was not happy at all: "Aning, scold me, it's my fault."

Before coming to the Mu Mansion to see her, he was afraid that she would blame him, but at this moment, he was afraid that she would not blame him.

He couldn't explain why his thoughts were so strange and contradictory.

Mu An Ning lowered her eyelids, a hint of sarcasm appeared on her lips: "The prince just wanted to tease my daughter, what's wrong with that?"

In the past, she would care a lot but she would just sulk in her heart.

He has always been like this, but she found that she no longer had the heart to think about it.

"Aning, no. I just don't want... you to owe others a favor." Gu Huaizhi clenched the folding fan in his hand, which had not been unfolded. He only hated himself for teasing her too many times in the past. Now he just didn't mean that, and she thought so too.

Mu An Ning just nodded slowly after hearing this, then raised his eyes and looked directly at the young man: "Have you finished speaking, my lord?"

Gu Huaizhi opened his mouth, only to feel that pair of distant eyes, like poisoned arrows, piercing fiercely into his chest.

"Since the prince has finished speaking, I will not keep you company any longer." Mu An Ning stood up by herself and glanced at the dazzling sun.

"If there is any news about Wan'er, please pass on a message to the prince." Mu An Ning bowed calmly and said sincerely, "I owe you a favor this time. If you need anything in the future, I will do my best."

Staring at the girl's black hair blown by the wind, Gu Huaizhi was stunned for a moment, then he could no longer sit still and strode to the front of the girl.

"Okay, since you want to repay me, then I want you to break off the engagement with Tan Wenhuai." Gu Huai raised his chin, not even realizing how sour his tone was at the moment: "How?"

His previous words of repaying were just casually said. Who would have thought that she would really want to break up with him so clearly.

Being pressed closely by the young man, Mu An Ning took two steps back until he leaned against a stone pillar.

Smelling the unique fragrance of the young man, Mu An Ning's eyes flashed, and then she looked directly at the unreasonable young man: "Sir, I'm sorry I can't agree to it."

Even if she herself could accept the fact that the engagement had been cancelled twice in succession, the Marquis's Mansion that had raised her for more than ten years would not agree.

Moreover, Gu Huaizhi's request was really beyond the limit.

She said this without hesitation. Gu Huaizhi's heart was in turmoil and he was so angry that his teeth ached. However, he could only snort nonchalantly: "I thought you were so capable, but you can't even do such a 'small' thing."

At that time, she could be so decisive in breaking off the engagement with him, but now she is unwilling to break off the engagement with Tan Wenhuai.

She really likes Tan Wenhuai so much...

Gu Huaizhi closed his eyes, reached out and touched the peach blossom hairpin in his sleeve. The smooth touch left a slight warmth on his fingertips.

After a while, his tone became weaker, and it was unclear whether he was comforting himself or defending the girl: "Forget it, if you can't do it, then you can't do it. This prince has never been that stingy."

He took out the hairpin from his sleeve in one go, and before Mu An Ning could see clearly what it was, he held it between the girl's hair and gestured with it without any doubt.

Although the boy's movements seemed unfamiliar, they were extremely delicate. He repeatedly practiced the insertion posture, and after several attempts, he finally inserted the peach blossom hairpin into the girl's bun.

Mu An Ning was frozen for a moment by the slight itching on his head and could only stand there motionless.

She stared at the beads of sweat that flowed from the boy's neck into his collar. As soon as she uttered the word "you", she was interrupted by the boy.

"Aning, even if you don't dare to cancel the engagement, you can't be too afraid to accept even a hairpin, right?" Gu Huaizhi carefully scanned the top of the girl's head, with a hint of joy at the corners of his lips.

He knew that his craftsmanship was indeed good. This hairpin suited her better than the green hairpin that Tan Wenhuai had given her.

Mu An Ning was stunned for a moment before she suddenly realized that Gu Huaizhi was inserting the hairpin for her just now.

She vaguely remembered that such a scene had replayed in her mind countless times before, but it had never happened.

After a long while, she lowered her eyes and declined politely: "This is different from breaking off the engagement. My Lord, please take back the hairpin."

Gu Huaizhi's raised eyebrows slightly paused. Was she so deeply in love with Tan Wenhuai that she didn't even dare to accept a hairpin?

Gu Huaizhi's eyes darkened. He wanted her to accept the hairpin no matter what, even if she would be angry about it. "Aning, if you don't accept it, then don't know anything about Mu Wan'er."

Mu An Ning frowned, hearing a hint of threat in the boy's tone, feeling both confused and impatient.

She did say that he could make requests... but this was a really weird request.

Just when the two were at a stalemate, Gu Ji's voice suddenly came at an inopportune moment: "Sir, the princess said..."

But when he saw the two people's current posture, his tone changed with ill intention: "Ahem, Master, Miss Mu, you two continue... I will take my leave first."

Mu An Ning's eyelids twitched slightly. She was careless.

She and Gu Huaizhi were standing very close to each other at the moment, which could easily cause misunderstanding, but fortunately the person who came was Gu Huaizhi's subordinate.

But she had no way to retreat now, because behind the stone pillar she was leaning against was a pool of water, so if she wanted to retreat, she could only do the same as Gu Huai.

Gu Huaizhi glanced at the girl's fair face and soft hair, and his ears instantly felt hot as if they were burned by charcoal: "Gu Ji, stop right there!"

*

The next day.

In Jishitang, Mu Anning's eyes lit up when he saw the slender figure of the woman. After writing down the prescription in his hand carefully, he stood up and asked, "Sister Su, why are you here?"

The two of them had not seen each other for quite some time since they came to Jishitang.

After finishing her daily work, it was time for dinner. She couldn't go to the Su Mansion to make trouble, so she could only communicate with Sister Su via correspondence.

Su Nianci looked at her friend who hurriedly walked to her side, and chuckled, "Did I disturb Ning'er?"

Mu An Ning glanced at Doctor Lu who nodded slightly at her, then shook her head and said with a raised corner of her lips: "There are not many patients today. It's just that I haven't seen Sister Su for a few days, and I really miss Sister Su."

Su Nianci patted her hands, and the ambiguous smile in her eyes became even more intense: "In another month, you won't have to worry about Ning'er anymore."

Mu An Ning was stunned for a moment before he realized what Su Nian meant.

This morning, Madam Mu told her that the wedding date was set for June 15th.

Today is May 15th, exactly one month away.

Sufu is some distance from Mufu, but only one street away from Tanfu...

Su Nianci looked at the girl's slightly red cheeks with satisfaction. Knowing that she was thin-skinned, she turned to ask, "By the way, did Ning'er not come to the clinic yesterday?"

Mu An Ning's mind suddenly flashed back to the young man who had delayed her for a long time yesterday. She smiled calmly and said, "He did come, but he was a little late."

Su Nianci nodded suddenly. No wonder she and her cousin waited in the clinic for a long time yesterday but no one came. In the end, they had to go back home first.

"However, Ning'er thought of me alone," Su Nianci seemed to remember something, her eyes suddenly turned and looked behind her: "Didn't she think of anyone else?"

*

Gu Ji, who was called into the room, widened his eyes. He glanced at the things on the table, then looked at Gu Huaizhi, his eyes full of disbelief: "Sir, please don't tell your subordinates that you made this yourself?"

No wonder the young master locked himself in the small kitchen early this morning. It turned out that he was making pastries.

But such a refined appearance, no matter how you look at it, doesn't look like something that can be mastered in just half a day.

Could it be that the young master is a pastry genius that only appears once in a century?

No, it seemed like the young master had asked him to find the recipe for osmanthus cake a long time ago. Could it be that the young master had started practicing it since then? But how could he know nothing about it?

Gu Huaizhi raised his chin proudly, and the confidence in his eyes seemed to say, who else could have done it if it wasn't him: "Gu Ji, you eat one piece."

Gu Ji stared at the plate of exquisite pastries, and rubbed his hands eagerly: "Hey, you are not joking, are you?"

He wondered how he could have the good fortune to taste the cakes made by a young man who had never touched water before!

Gu Huaizhi clicked his tongue impatiently: "Just eat what I tell you to eat, stop talking nonsense."

Yesterday, his mother learned from Old Madam Mu that Mu An Ning and Tan Wenhuai had not even set a wedding date, it was just a verbal agreement between the two families.

Since he has given the Peach Blossom Hairpin away, he must press on to seize the opportunity today and let Mu An Ning recall every detail of the past.

Gu Ji scratched his head and then carefully twisted the top pastry. His tone was full of expectation: "Hey, thank you, sir. You're welcome, my subordinate."

Even though he usually ate the finest food when he followed the young master, this snack was something that could only be found once in a century.

He can be said to have benefited from Miss Mu's help today.

Seeing Gu Ji swallow it without hesitation, Gu Huaizhi twisted his aching wrist and raised his eyebrows nervously: "How is it?"

Now that he had tried making pastries, he gradually realized that these things were not much easier than practicing martial arts.

Mu An Ning had done so much for him silently in the past, and he only hoped that it was not too late to repay him now.