Gu Qinghuai felt that Lin Xihe in front of him was completely different from the one in his memory, as if she were a different person.
He remembered that Lin Xihe had a small red mole on her neck, but it was the dead of winter and Lin Xihe was wearing a high-necked shirt that covered that area of skin completely, so he had no way of confirming it.
He discreetly observed Lin Xihe, who was pretending to be asleep. He noticed that her butterfly-like eyelashes trembled slightly, indicating that she was feigning sleep.
Lin Xihe was extremely nervous and uneasy, and dared not open her eyes rashly.
She felt a sharp, hawk-like gaze fixed on her, as if trying to pierce through her flesh and see into her heart.
The thought of Gu Qinghuai's almost obsessive love for the original owner made her shudder. She thought to herself: once he finds out that she is not the original, this man might really get angry and take her life.
Lin Xihe forced herself to remain calm and continued to pretend to be asleep. After a short while, the carriage slowly came to a stop.
"General Gu, we have arrived at the Gu residence."
The coachman outside shouted the announcement at the top of his lungs.
"Mmm," Gu Qinghuai responded softly.
Upon hearing this, Lin Xihe kept her eyes tightly closed, secretly plotting in her mind: Once you return to the manor, I'll slip away and make a quick getaway.
I'll go to Zui Wushuang Restaurant alone and try their signature dishes.
Anyway, the technology in this era is backward, there's no such thing as location tracking or anything like that, so he can't find himself anyway.
If Gu Qinghuai can't find her, he can at most wait at her house, but she can stay out there having a good time until late at night, leaving him to stare blankly and wait.
"Xihe, now that you're here, come inside with me?" Gu Qinghuai leaned closer to Lin Xihe, his voice so gentle it could melt hearts, trying to rouse her.
Lin Xihe remained unmoved and continued to pretend to be asleep.
Seeing this, Gu Qinghuai sighed helplessly: "Since you are unwilling, then wait here for me for a moment, I will be out soon."
Lin Xihe remained motionless, maintaining a state of feigned sleep.
Immediately following was the crisp sound of the door opening, followed by the sound of the carriage door closing again.
Lin Xihe waited in the carriage for a while, listening carefully to the sounds outside.
After confirming that there had been no sound for a long time, she excitedly opened her eyes, but the next second, she froze on the spot, secretly thinking that something was wrong and wishing she could take back the action of opening her eyes.
But deep down, I knew it was probably too late.
The moment she opened her eyes, she saw Gu Qinghuai still sitting steadily in the carriage, staring intently at her.
That look seemed to see through everything, making Lin Xihe shiver.
"Not being honest?" Gu Qinghuai frowned slightly, his tone carrying a hint of reproach.
"Do you believe me if I say I was woken up by the sound of you closing the door?" Lin Xihe tried to argue, but her guilty conscience was written all over her face, and anyone could see through her act.
What do you think?
Gu Qinghuai asked in return with a half-smile.
"I guess you don't quite believe it."
Lin Xihe pursed her lips and muttered under her breath. When her gaze fell on Gu Qinghuai's ashen face, she felt even more uncertain.
Seeing this, Gu Qinghuai stopped wasting words and, without saying a word, directly reached out and picked Lin Xihe up in his arms.
"what you do?"
Lin Xihe was both surprised and embarrassed, her cheeks instantly turning bright red, and she instinctively tried to push Gu Qinghuai away with both hands.
“You have no credibility with me anymore. I only feel at ease when I take you with me.”
As Gu Qinghuai spoke, he carried Lin Xihe out of the carriage, showing no intention of putting her down.
After getting out of the carriage, Gu Qinghuai jumped down nimbly, still holding Lin Xihe steadily.
"What are you doing? Let go of me! There are so many people watching!" Lin Xihe was both anxious and embarrassed, her face flushed. She pushed Gu Qinghuai with all her might, but Gu Qinghuai was like a mountain, not moving an inch.
Her strength was completely ineffective.
"So what?" Gu Qinghuai said calmly, as if the strange looks from those around him had nothing to do with him. He hugged Lin Xihe tightly and strode toward the gate of the Gu residence. His posture suggested that he would remain unmoved no matter what others said.
Seeing that Gu Qinghuai's attitude was firm and there was no room for negotiation, Lin Xihe anxiously called out, "Ling Shuang!"
Ling Shuang had been waiting on the sidelines. When she first saw Lin Xihe's unwilling expression, she secretly prepared herself, just waiting for her master's order to make her move.
Upon hearing the call, she rushed forward with lightning speed.
In the blink of an eye, she had reached out, her hand clearly aimed at Lin Xihe, intending to snatch her young lady from Gu Qinghuai's arms as quickly as possible. The movement was swift and clean.
Gu Qinghuai would not let go easily. While holding Lin Xihe tightly, he moved quickly with agile and steady steps.
Their eyes met, and their movements became increasingly intense, exchanging blows without giving an inch.
However, after only two rounds, Gu Qinghuai launched a flying kick, his foot precisely meeting Ling Shuang's foot, and pushed her away with great force.
Ling Shuang was instantly pushed far away.
Ling Shuang was unwilling to accept defeat and was ready to fight back, but she saw Gu Qinghuai's eyes narrow and he coldly said, "I am wearing official robes. If you insist on letting her make a move, firstly, with her skills, she is no match for me; secondly, daring to fight an official of the imperial court is punishable by death according to the law. Have you thought it through?"
Upon hearing this, Lin Xihe's heart tightened, fearing that things would escalate. She immediately put on a smiling face and said ingratiatingly, "It's a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding! Ling Shuang, I meant for you to come into the manor with me."
The smile held a hint of helplessness and ingratiation, while her eyes anxiously scanned back and forth between the two.
"Does my Gu residence exist as a place where anyone can come and go as they please?"
Gu Qinghuai's tone still carried a strong sense of threat, and his grip on Lin Xihe tightened even more.
Seeing this, Lin Xihe was both angry and anxious, but there was nothing she could do. She could only grit her teeth and shout at Ling Shuang, "Ling Shuang, wait for me outside."
Ling Shuang knew in her heart how formidable Gu Qinghuai was, and she knew that even if there were several people on her side with skills like hers, they probably wouldn't be able to gain any advantage in front of him. Helpless, she could only lower her head and reply, "Yes, Miss."
He could only suppress his anger for the time being, silently stepping aside to await Lin Xihe's next instructions.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
