pjbooks Chapter 690 This bowl of sweet soup she made herself seems...not so sweet anymore.
Chapter 690 This bowl of sweet soup she made herself seems...not so sweet anymore.
Gu Lanxin looked like a startled rabbit, her face instantly turning bright red. She hurriedly took a step back, distancing herself from Lin Jiayou.
Lin Jiayou turned around, a perfectly timed look of surprise flashing across his face before turning into a gentle smile.
"Qingchen, you've arrived."
He walked over and naturally took the food box from her hand.
"Just now, Sister Lanxin passed by and saw this osmanthus tree. Seeing it reminded her of her late fiancé. I just offered a few words of comfort."
This explanation is flawless.
Gu Lanxin was a source of heartache for the whole family, and the death of her fiancé was a wound that no one dared to mention.
The inexplicable anger and bitterness in Gu Qingchen's heart were instantly washed away by a huge sense of guilt.
She felt that she was being petty, that she would actually doubt Jiayou and her poor cousin.
"Ah... I'm sorry, Sister Lanxin, I... I didn't mean to disturb you." She was somewhat incoherent.
"Let's not mention this again," Lin Jiayou glanced at Gu Lanxin and whispered to Gu Qingchen, "so as not to upset Sister Lanxin again."
With a single sentence, a secret that the three of them needed to keep together was created.
Gu Lanxin glanced at Lin Jiayou, whispered, "I'm going back now," and hurriedly left.
In Gu Qingchen's view, her reaction further confirmed Lin Jiayou's statement.
Inside the house, Lin Jiayou ate the sweet soup with satisfaction, praising it repeatedly: "It tastes just like I remember, so sweet."
Gu Qingchen looked at him, trying hard to recapture the joy she felt in the kitchen that afternoon.
But for some reason, she always felt empty inside.
This bowl of sweet soup she made herself seems... not so sweet anymore.
Gu Qingchen walked back to his courtyard with a heavy heart. As soon as he reached the moon gate, he saw a familiar figure waiting there.
Seeing that her expression was off, Qian Zhenyun took two steps forward and asked, "What's wrong?"
Gu Qingchen forced a smile: "It's nothing, Jiayou really likes the sweet soup I make."
Qian Zhenyun followed her gaze and looked in the direction of Tingzhuxuan in the distance, his eyes sharpening.
He looked away and, as if by magic, pulled a small bamboo dragonfly from his sleeve and handed it to her.
"Look, I bought this at the market. Doesn't it look like the one we used to play with when we were kids?"
Gu Qingchen took the bamboo dragonfly and looked at the simple gadget; the slight annoyance in his heart suddenly dissipated.
She rubbed it hard, and the bamboo dragonfly buzzed and flew up.
"You're still the best, Gun Gun!" she laughed from the bottom of her heart.
Looking into her bright eyes again, Qian Zhenyun felt all the unpleasantness from yesterday vanish.
Late at night, at Tingzhuxuan.
After seeing Gu Qingchen off, Lin Jiayou's gentle smile gradually faded, leaving only cold calculation.
He closed the door and took out an exquisite mutton-fat jade pendant from his sleeve.
The jade pendant was carved with a budding orchid, which Gu Lanxin had dropped in her "panic" moments earlier.
He stroked the smooth, jade-like surface with his fingertips, a smile playing on his lips, and said softly, "The young ladies of the Gu family are truly... each one easier to understand than the last."
The autumn air was crisp and clear, and news spread from the palace.
Crown Prince Zhao Chen'an is going to hold an autumn hunt at the royal hunting grounds in Xishan. All the scions of prominent families in the capital have received invitations.
This news made Gu Qingchen even happier than the New Year.
The first person she thought of was Lin Jiayou.
"Jiayou, the Crown Prince is going to hold an autumn hunt. I'll take you with me!"
Lin Jiayou was sitting by the window reading a book. Hearing this, he looked up, his face filled with longing, but his tone was somewhat self-conscious.
"I really want to see the grandeur of the Royal Hunting Grounds, but unfortunately I'm just a scholar who can't even ride a horse. Going there would only embarrass you."
Gu Qingchen couldn't stand hearing this.
She walked over and slammed his book shut.
"Who dares to laugh at you? I'll personally teach you how to ride a horse, and I guarantee you'll be riding quite well before the autumn hunt."
On the other side, at the Qian residence.
The Crown Prince's personal attendant delivered a gold-embossed invitation to Qian Zhenyun.
"Young Master Qian, His Highness invites you to accompany him to West Mountain."
When the news spread, it caused an uproar among the elite ladies of Beijing.
In the back garden of the Minister of Personnel's residence, several elegantly dressed noble ladies were sitting together.
Leading the group was Wang Ruoyu, the eldest daughter of the newly appointed Minister. She lightly waved her round fan, a disdainful sneer playing on her lips.
"Have you heard? His Highness the Crown Prince has invited that person from the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion to the autumn hunt this time."
A woman in a pale yellow silk dress immediately chimed in, her tone laced with sarcasm: "Who says otherwise? A wild girl who's always brandishing swords and spears, I wonder what His Highness sees in her."
"That's right. Which of the noble ladies in our capital is not proficient in all the arts, such as music, chess, calligraphy and painting? But Gu Qingchen only knows how to ride horses and commit violence. She is vulgar and unbearable."
Wang Ruoyu gently tapped the stone table with the handle of her fan, her gaze sweeping over everyone, her voice lowered slightly.
"The position of Crown Princess requires virtue, speech, appearance, and competence. Gu Qingchen may have a good family background, but in what way is she worthy of the title?"
"That's right, Sister Ruoyu, you are the most suitable candidate."
As Wang Ruoyu listened to the flattery, a hint of smugness flashed in her eyes, which then turned into deep calculation.
“This Xishan hunting ground is not her personal training ground. Since she likes to show off, let’s give her a hand and let her have a good ‘shine’ in front of His Highness and everyone else.”
She slowly revealed her plan to the crowd. Several noble ladies listened with shining eyes and echoed her. A conspiracy against Gu Qingchen was quietly taking shape in this flower-filled back garden.
At the martial arts training ground of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, Gu Qingchen, who knew nothing about this, was patiently teaching Lin Jiayou how to ride a horse.
"Straighten your back! Keep your legs together! Relax your hands, don't grasp at the reins like a lifeline!"
Gu Qingchen rode on his horse, circling around the docile pony Lin Jiayou was riding, giving him constant commands.
Lin Jiayou sat on the horse, his posture somewhat stiff, with a troubled, bitter smile on his face.
"Qingchen, I... I don't think I really have any talent."
As he spoke, his body swayed as if he were about to fall off the horse.
"careful!"
Gu Qingchen reacted quickly, pulling on the reins so her horse could stay close to Lin Jiayou. She reached out and grabbed Lin Jiayou's arm.
"You're just too nervous!" she complained, looking at his clumsy appearance with a mixture of exasperation and amusement.
With a quick glance, she dismounted, her movements as swift as a cheetah.
"Don't move, I'll come up and teach you."
After saying that, she stepped into the stirrups and flipped herself over to sit behind Lin Jiayou.
A horse carrying two people.
Her chest was almost pressed against his back, and her hands slipped under his armpits, covering his hands and grasping the reins.
"See, you have to do it like this: give it a gentle nudge, and it will know to go left. Give it another nudge, and it will go right."
The warm breath brushed past his ear, and Lin Jiayou's body stiffened instantly. Then, a glint of light flashed deep in his eyes.