Chapter 318: First Visit to Xiao He's Mansion
Old Li drove the carriage directly into the gate of Xiao He's mansion.
Gu Xixi, He Jinglan, and An Qinghe stood side by side in the front yard.
A gust of wind blew by, and although it was a warm but still chilly spring night, there was a sense of the solemnity of late autumn.
An Qinghe asked, "Shall we go in?"
Gu Xixi turned around and stormed off, "I think it's nice to stay at an inn."
Before she could finish her words, He Jinglan grabbed her from behind and dragged her back.
He Jinglan dragged and pulled, persuaded with kind words, and swore to the heaven.
"No matter whether the Fan family can find you or not, I am worried about you staying in the inn."
"Don't you value your life the most? Don't you never do anything that you are not sure of? You are prepared for the worst. Do you have any safer choice in this capital than my home?"
"Don't worry! I will definitely separate you from the people you don't want to see! I will definitely stop my brother and not let him tell someone!"
Gu Xixi raised her head, "Really?"
He Jinglan's eyes were straight, even a little hurt, "Look at what you said, when have I ever lied to you?!"
Gu Xixi said expressionlessly, "Just before I entered your house, you pointed to the palace and said it was far away. The lights at the gate of the palace were almost invisible."
"You call it far? It's obviously because the palace is too big. The area of your He Mansion is also not small. Even if the two houses are adjacent, the courtyard wall looks far away from the outside."
Gu Xixi noticed when she came here just now. Although the carriage took a while to pass the Regent's Palace, there was clearly no other door between the main entrances of the two palaces.
He Jinglan was exposed, and smiled at Gu Xixi, "Hehe, I was afraid that you would jump out of the car, so I was anxious for a moment, and I didn't think twice before saying something to calm you down. How can this be a lie? Little Xixi~~"
Gu Xixi glanced sideways, "It's no use for you to pretend to be cute."
He Jinglan said seriously, "I am cute by nature and never bother to pretend!"
She turned to An Qinghe and said, "Boss An, is that right?"
An Qinghe nodded and asked the question that confused him, "Why have you two been pushing and shoving each other since you came in? You don't seem to be having a quarrel. Why did Xixi come here but not want to stay?"
He Jinglan's eyes lit up and she smiled.
She released the hand that was holding Gu Xixi and said meaningfully, "Yes, why is that?"
"I don't know what's wrong with Xixi. We don't have any wolves, tigers or leopards in our backyard. I really don't know what she's afraid of."
An Qinghe looked at Gu Xixi inquiringly.
"I..." Gu Xixi was at a loss for words.
Is she going to say, "Regent Mu Nanzhao is the Chen Fang you know"?
This is not impossible to say.
But the trouble is how to explain it to An Qinghe later?
Explain why it has never been said that Chen Fang is the regent.
Explain why she doesn't even dare to live in the He family just because the Regent's Palace is next door?
With An Qinghe's personality, he would definitely say, "Why should we avoid him when he's here? This is Miss Jinglan's home, not his regent palace!"
Thinking of this, Gu Xixi's head was about to explode, but her expression was extremely calm.
A heroic feeling of giving up everything surged in her heart, and she took quick steps.
"Who said I don't want to stay?"
"I'm just worried that I'd disturb Lord He by coming uninvited at night."
"Since Jinglan doesn't care, it would be a waste not to live in such a nice house."
He Jinglan held back her laughter and waved to An Qinghe to follow quickly.
"Hey, Xixi, don't turn right, turn left. Let's go straight back to my yard, and we won't run into my brother."
Yuzhuyuan is an independent courtyard where He Jinglan lives at home.
It is named after the green bamboos grown everywhere. Yuzhu is also known as "Yuzhu", which is a kind of small seal script.
It just fits He Jinglan's interest in calligraphy.
As soon as the three of them walked into the moon gate, they saw a slim girl standing in front of the screen wall.
The girl was wearing a cherry red top, a pomegranate colored pleated skirt, and had two buns on her head. She had round eyes and two small eyebrows, and she looked smart and lively.
When the daughters of wealthy families go out, they are usually accompanied by at least three or four personal maids, and He Jinglan is no exception.
But today she refused to allow anyone to follow her. I guess the maids came here because they were waiting impatiently.
Seeing her master return safely, the little maid ran over hastily, but for some reason, she seemed too excited. She gestured with both hands and pointed towards the screen wall.
He Jinglan was puzzled, "Guangzhu, I haven't seen you for just one day, you are not so happy that you can't even speak, right?"
As she held Gu Xixi's hand and continued to walk inside, she said, "Are Lu La, Zi Yan, and Lian Xing in the house? Tell them that a distinguished guest has arrived and make arrangements quickly."
Guangzhu seemed to be in an awkward situation, and followed He Jinglan at a loss, as if she wanted to stop her, but also as if she didn't dare to really do so.
Gu Xixi noticed Guangzhu's strangeness and said to He Jinglan, "This girl seems to want to say something to you."
Back in his own territory, He Jinglan relaxed and said with a smile, "Girl! Do you still need me to tell you what to do?"
"This is Gu Xixi, my close friend and bosom friend whom I have told you many times."
"Don't worry, Xixi, you won't see Mu Nanzhao in my yard!"
As they were talking, they walked around the screen wall. Under the moonlight, the shadows of bamboos were swaying in the open space in the center of the courtyard. Two people were sitting opposite each other at a black jade table, playing chess.
He Jinglan's excited words got stuck in her throat.
An Qinghe narrowed his eyes and exclaimed, "Chen Fang! No, I heard from Shitou that you seem to have changed your last name to Mu. Why are you here?!"
Gu Xixi's face slowly turned blue.
Guangzhu murmured, "Master, the master and the prince came over after dinner and said that the table in Yuzhuyuan is good and it is even better to play chess while smelling the fragrance of bamboo..."
He Jinglan wished she had never come back, "Why didn't you tell me earlier!"
Guangzhu's voice became even quieter. "I was waiting there, and wanted the master to keep quiet, but..."
But He Jinglan started talking as soon as she entered the door and called Guangzhu's name.
The two people in the yard also heard it.
He Jinghui stood up and looked at the three guests, and said with a smile, "My sister invited two guests to come home at night, and I was not able to greet them outside the second gate. It was really neglectful."
Gu Xixi had recovered a little and saluted, "No, we came uninvited. We apologize for disturbing you, Lord He."
As she spoke, she tried not to look at the person still sitting at the table.
He Jinghui fixed his gaze on Gu Xixi. After thinking for a moment, he seemed to understand something and a smile appeared in his eyes.
"This must be Boss Gu."
"When my sister was in the northwest, Boss Gu took care of her. I am deeply grateful and should have thanked him in person long ago."
As he said this, he bowed to Gu Xixi seriously and solemnly.
Gu Xixi also introduced An Qinghe.
He Jinghui's smile was refreshing and there was no sense of distance. "I know this brother too."
"The youngest and most promising member of the Yunling County Nursery Chamber of Commerce."
"My sister caused you trouble when she stayed in Huachidu Village."
An Qinghe waved his hands quickly, "No matter where you are, we are all taking care of each other."
"Miss He is very good at accounting and writing contracts. I admire her!"
He Jinghui was stunned, and his eyes suddenly became wary when he looked at An Qinghe.
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