"Thank you, Ninth Prince, for helping me deal with Lin Yeran's trouble last time. But it seems that Lin Yeran still refuses to let me go," Gu Jiangyue said after a brief pause, allowing Xie Jiuan to figure out her meaning on his own. She slowly took a sip of tea and then continued calmly.
"I'm sure the Ninth Prince has already heard about the Lin family's proposal to the Gu family."
"So, Miss Gu means you want me to teach this Lin Yeran a good lesson?" Xie Jiuan curled his lips into a playful smile.
Although they already had evidence of the Lin family's bribery and the Lin family would surely disappear from the capital in the near future, Gu Jiangyue would never let them off so easily. She was determined to pay back all the troubles Lin Yeran had brought to her.
Moreover, there was still Gu Zhuying in the Gu Mansion who deserved a lesson. It would be even more cost - effective to teach them both a lesson together.
"The Ninth Prince is right. He has indeed troubled me a lot these days. But I don't need the Ninth Prince's help to punish him. I'd like to handle it myself. I only need the Ninth Prince to give me a little assistance."
Xie Jiuan looked at Gu Jiangyue, who remained calm in front of him. He thought that among all the things she had said, the part about Lin Yeran disgusting her was the real reason for her visit.
He sat up straight and let out a soft laugh. This little girl was really vengeful. He was becoming more and more curious about what kind of brilliant plan Gu Jiangyue would come up with to teach the self - destructive Lin Yeran a lesson.
"I'm well - known in the capital as a great benefactor. I love dealing with bad people the most. Naturally, I'm very willing to help Miss Gu."
Although there was a smile on Xie Jiuan's face, a hint of coldness lingered in his eyes.
Gu Jiangyue was too lazy to refute him. Seeing that he had agreed, she decided to stop beating around the bush and said directly,
"Lin Yeran is always lecherous. If my face were disfigured, I'm afraid Mr. Lin would stop pestering me. So, could the Ninth Prince lend me the doctor in your mansion?"
Xie Jiuan was not a fool. He naturally knew what Gu Jiangyue was up to, and he was eager to watch this good show.
"Of course."
As soon as Xie Jiuan finished speaking, he called over a maid beside him and whispered something to her. The maid bowed and left, then came back with an old man with a gray beard.
The old man came in smiling. When he saw Gu Jiangyue, he was slightly stunned and a look of surprise flashed in his eyes. But then he laughed twice and bowed to Xie Jiuan.
"He will help you. What about the information? When do you plan to give it to me, Miss Gu?"
Xie Jiuan casually glanced at the old man and then looked at Gu Jiangyue. His eyes were fixed on Gu Jiangyue's pupils, as if he didn't want to miss any trace of her emotions.
The old man quickly got used to the situation. Although he was a bit surprised that the Ninth Prince had brought a woman to Bishui Yunju, he still had a smile on his face. He turned to Gu Jiangyue, bowed, and introduced himself.
"My name is Song Zhong. If Miss Gu has any needs, you can come to me directly. I will surely do my best."
Before Gu Jiangyue could reply, Xie Jiuan frowned unhappily.
"You should follow her first and go back to the Gu Mansion later. I'll let you come back after the matter is settled."
Song Zhong stroked his beard and laughed twice, nodding repeatedly. He had watched Xie Jiuan grow up. He knew Xie Jiuan's temper well and believed that he wouldn't harm him. It was okay to follow Xie Jiuan's order.
Their Ninth Prince was like this. Sometimes he was like a child, and sometimes he could take on important responsibilities. He had few playmates since childhood. Song Zhong actually hoped that he could have more contact with Gu Jiangyue.
If Gu Jiangyue came to look for Song Zhong, it would surely take a lot of time on the way. It was better for Song Zhong to follow Gu Jiangyue first.
Xie Jiuan was indulged by the emperor and was always fearless. He wouldn't get into any trouble. But for Gu Jiangyue, Xie Jiuan had witnessed the intrigues in the Gu Mansion. Having Song Zhong follow her would make him feel more at ease.
Gu Jiangyue thought for a while and found that she had little room to refuse in front of the Ninth Prince.
Fortunately, it was Xie Jiuan. His deeds were well - known in the capital. He was a womanizer and was spoiled by the emperor.
So, even if people knew that Gu Jiangyue was on good terms with him to the extent that he could lend her his doctor, no one would find it strange. After all, this Ninth Prince loved to interact with young girls.
Moreover, given Xie Jiuan's position in the emperor's heart, even if others wanted to say something bad about Gu Jiangyue, they could only swallow their words. Otherwise, it would be a disaster.
"You can go now."
"I'll take my leave."
Song Zhong left happily after bowing to the two of them with a smile on his face.
Gu Jiangyue was a little dazed. Before coming here, she had imagined many times that Xie Jiuan might refuse to help her. But she never expected that he would agree so readily. To make her trust him, he even met her condition first.
Did he treat other women like this? For some reason, Gu Jiangyue suddenly thought of the woman she had seen at the entrance of Bishui Yunju before.
"Miss Gu?"
Gu Jiangyue came back to her senses when Xie Jiuan called her.
"I'll send someone to deliver the information later. Thank you, Ninth Prince."
"Happy cooperation."
Xie Jiuan squinted his eyes, picked up a black chess piece again, and gently placed it on the chessboard.
Gu Jiangyue didn't leave in a hurry. She struggled in her mind for a while. Finally, she let out a long sigh. Looking at Xie Jiuan with a scrutinizing look, she decided to ask the question.
"I wonder what the relationship is between the Ninth Prince and Miss Mu Xia?"
"Is Miss Gu really concerned about me?"
Xie Jiuan was a bit surprised. He didn't expect Gu Jiangyue to ask this question. He was sure that Gu Jiangyue had an ulterior motive. But he actually liked it when Gu Jiangyue misunderstood the relationship between him and Mu Xia. In this way, he might be able to see through Gu Jiangyue's true thoughts.
However, the relationship between him and Mu Xia was not what the outside world thought. There were all kinds of people in the brothel. He just went there casually to maintain his image as a playboy and to listen to some gossips in the city.
Mu Xia was just the top courtesan in the brothel. Although he often visited her, he only drank tea in her room. He never did anything else. As for their relationship, Mu Xia was just a pawn for him to maintain his identity, while he was the person Mu Xia always wanted to cling to.
Although Xie Jiuan liked to have fun, he never had inappropriate emotions for people who were of no real help to him.
He was born like this. He had grown up in neglect and intrigue. It was meaningless to try to make up for these things now.
Xie Jiuan's status was too special. Although he desired power, as long as he showed the slightest ambition, he would become the target of everyone's criticism.
Some things looked glorious on the surface, but once you got closer, you would find that they were just a pile of rotten bones.
He and Gu Jiangyue were just people in the same situation.