Lu Zhu was always so boisterous, Gu Qianying had long grown accustomed to it. However, this made Gu Yefeng frown, "What are you being so flustered about, girl?"
As Gu Yefeng spoke, Gu Qianying looked at Lu Zhu, seemingly having already guessed what Lu Zhu was implying, "Did he bring anything when he came?"
Gu Yefeng looked at Gu Qianying. Although he was bewildered, he didn't say anything.
Meanwhile, Lu Zhu nodded foolishly, "He did, he did. He brought two carriages and several people, including the Third Prince."
"..."
As she spoke, Gu Qianying got up and walked to the dressing table, sitting down. She took out a jeweled hairpin she rarely wore from her makeup box and was about to put it on her head when she turned around and continued to ask, "Did you see what was inside the carriages?"
Lu Zhu continued to nod, "Your maidservant saw."
"Oh, is it still betrothal gifts?" She turned around, looking at Lu Zhu through the antique mirror, and pressed further.
Lu Zhu tilted her head in thought, then extended her fingers to count, "Your maidservant saw several books, exquisite tea sets, and some bundles. One of the two carriages was for His Highness the Ninth Prince, and the rest contained these items. The Third Prince and some servants arrived on horseback."
*Clang.*
The jeweled hairpin in her hand suddenly fell to the ground. Gu Qianying spun around abruptly, "He brought these things, not betrothal gifts?"
Lu Zhu shook her head.
Gu Qianying's eyebrows furrowed, and she quickly got up to leave, "Have they entered? Who are they going to see?"
Lu Zhu thought again and quickly said, "Your maidservant saw them heading towards Old Master's courtyard."
This time, Gu Qianying quickened her pace, "Quickly go and stop them, don't let them see Grandfather."
Gu Qianying, with Lu Zhu, walked out quickly.
Lu Zhu ran behind her. Although she didn't know why her young lady was ordering her to do this, to her, her young lady's words were like a "royal decree." She just had to "obey the decree."
But this made Gu Yefeng, who was chasing after them, increasingly confused.
"Sister, what are you doing?"
Gu Qianying suddenly stopped and looked at Gu Yefeng, "Brother, quickly go and kneel before Grandfather, hurry!"
Gu Yefeng: "..."
Gu Qianying naturally saw Gu Yefeng's bewildered expression, not understanding what was happening. But at the moment, she couldn't explain much. Seeing Gu Yefeng standing there motionless, she kicked him, "Stop dawdling, go, Brother."
Gu Yefeng, who was always cold and taciturn in front of outsiders, always broke character in front of Gu Qianying.
"Alright, alright, Brother will go, Brother will go now."
Gu Yefeng used his Qinggong and in the blink of an eye, he had arrived at the courtyard where Old General Gu resided.
But he was still a step too late.
Not only did he fail to kneel, but he was also treated like a brother by Prince Nangong Li, who had been waiting outside.
"A'Ye, from today onwards, you and I will be brothers who share blessings and hardships. When you encounter any difficulties, this Prince will definitely help you, so..." Nangong Li reached out and hooked Gu Yefeng's neck, slinging an arm around his shoulders. He deliberately used his folding fan to cover his face and finished his unfinished words, "So... today my Ninth Imperial Uncle intends to stay at your esteemed residence for a few days. You and your Old Master must entertain him well!"
"What? Stay for a few days?" Gu Yefeng was stunned.
At the same time, Gu Qianying, who had rushed over with Lu Zhu, immediately cried out to stop him when she heard Nangong Li's words, "No, you cannot!"
Nangong Li, Gu Yefeng, and the servants Nangong Li had brought all turned to look back.
Gu Qianying quickly walked past everyone. Before she could see Nangong Mo and Bai Qi, she looked at Nangong Li and asked, "Has Ninth Imperial Uncle gone in?"
Nangong Li nodded, "Yes."
"Has my Grandfather woken up?"
Nangong Li nodded again, "Yes."
Just as Nangong Li was about to ask Gu Qianying why she wouldn't allow his Ninth Imperial Uncle to stay at their residence for a few days, he saw that Gu Qianying had already entered the house.
Nangong Li poked Gu Yefeng with his folding fan, "Look, your little sister is so excited! I told you, our Ninth Imperial Uncle is handsome, dashing, and as elegant as a jade tree, a rare handsome man in this world. You should be happy that my Ninth Imperial Uncle fancies your little sister, hahaha."
*Crack!*
The folding fan in Nangong Li's hand broke for some reason.
His laughter abruptly stopped with the sound of the fan breaking.
Gu Yefeng's cold voice came, "My little sister is as beautiful as a flower, unparalleled in the world. If your Ninth Imperial Uncle is fortunate enough to be fancied by my little sister, it is his good fortune!"
His little sister was the noblest, most lovable, and most beautiful woman in the world.
Even being an Empress to the current Emperor would be fitting!
And Nangong Mo was not only the Ninth Prince, but he was also a person whose legs were paralyzed. To be paired with his little sister was purely superfluous. If anyone fancied anyone, it would be him climbing high.
However, Nangong Li did not fully understand Gu Yefeng's meaning.
"Yes, yes, yes, it's all the same, all the same. In the end, no matter who fancies whom, or who is paired with whom, this unclear and ambiguous thread of destiny between them cannot be untangled. In the future, you and I, as good brothers, will likely become inseparable."
Nangong Li dropped his folding fan and was about to put his arm around Gu Yefeng's neck again, but Gu Yefeng suddenly shook him off.
He glared at Nangong Li with a dark expression, "This subject will not be brothers with a creature that grunts and knows nothing of work, only eating, drinking, and defecating!"
With that, Gu Yefeng walked towards the house.
Nangong Li stood there, his mind still replaying Gu Yefeng's words.
"What is a creature that grunts and knows nothing of work, only eating, drinking, and defecating?"
As Nangong Li said this, the servants following behind him shook their shoulders, suppressed their laughter, and dared not make a sound.
Nangong Li looked at them and asked with a frown, "What are you laughing at? Do you know what this creature is?"
No one dared to respond, but Nangong Li could still see their attempts to laugh without daring to.
"Speak quickly, or this Prince will punish you!"
"Reporting to His Highness the Third Prince, this creature is a domestic pig."
"..."
After a moment of silence, Nangong Li's scolding could be heard from outside.
Inside the house.
Gu Qianying sat by Old General Gu's bedside, her head tilted and leaning against his shoulder.
Her appearance was obedient, but her tone was very aggrieved, "Grandfather, yesterday's matter was also a helpless move for Qianying. In front of so many young ladies from other households, if Qianying didn't support Brother, Brother would have fallen into their traps. Therefore, Qianying could only speak up to remind Brother so that Brother could protect himself as soon as possible.
Grandfather, you don't know, yesterday, if Brother had continued to go against His Highness the Crown Prince, given the Crown Prince's disposition, he would definitely have made things difficult for Brother in the future, and even killed him to save face. In that case, it would be better for us to go along with him first, let him think that our Gu Residence can serve him, and then wait for an opportunity later to turn against him."
As Gu Qianying spoke, her voice grew quieter and quieter, so much so that the last few sentences could only be heard by her and Old General Gu.
Her "lying with a straight face" twisted the situation where she was being bullied yesterday into her brother Gu Yefeng being the one.
This made Old General Gu curse Gu Yefeng, that little rascal, as a coward, while at the same time praising Gu Qianying for being sensible and well-behaved, and for knowing how to adapt. Indeed, she was his good granddaughter.
Beside them, Bai Qi, standing behind Nangong Mo, twitched his lips fiercely.
How could he not see that Miss Gu had such a skill for distorting right and wrong?
He had already heard about yesterday's events when he arrived. Originally, the third concubine of the Gu family and the second daughter of the Gu family had colluded with others to make things difficult for Miss Gu and wanted to drive her out of the mansion.
However, with Miss Gu's silver tongue, she managed to make the third concubine and the second daughter of the Gu family suffer losses, and even become favored by the Crown Prince Nangong Qi.
These matters were known to all the married women from other households who had some connection with court officials. Even the servants' wives in their Ninth Prince's Mansion were whispering about the Crown Prince and the many young ladies from other households gathering at the Gu Residence yesterday.
And these matters were kept so secret by Miss Gu that Old General Gu knew nothing of it, which was truly astonishing.
At this moment, Gu Qianying saw that Old General Gu, upon hearing her words, was not angry. In fact, she knew that even if her grandfather knew what she intended to do, he would not really blame her.
She knew that her grandfather doted on her the most.
Therefore, this made her even more certain that even if the process was difficult in this life, she would ensure that the endings of her loved ones around her were perfect!
It's just... this person sitting beside her in a wheelchair was giving her a headache!