Her elaborate dressing was overshadowed by Gu Jiangyue's natural beauty, making her look vulgar. Gu Zhengwan never expected to end up as the foil. She originally thought that after Gu Jiangyue was disfigured and disliked by the Lin family, she would look extremely haggard. She never imagined that Gu Jiangyue seemed as if nothing had happened. Just standing there quietly with only a pair of eyes showing, she outshone Gu Zhengwan.
Gu Zhengwan bit her lower lip tightly and clenched her fists so hard that her nails dug deep into her flesh. But she still had to maintain a false smile on her face.
Finally, just when Gu Zhengwan could hardly bear it and was about to leave, she saw a figure getting off the carriage.
"Lord Qin, you've come too."
Gu Zhengwan's eyes lit up again. She greeted the newcomer warmly.
It wasn't that Gu Zhengwan was being obsequious. Her relationship with Qin Anjie was indeed special. She knew that Qin Anjie liked her. Women like her could instinctively tell if a man was smitten with them at first sight.
Even though she knew this, Gu Zhengwan didn't like Qin Anjie. But as the only son of Prime Minister Qin, Qin Anjie's status was obvious. Even if she didn't like him, Gu Zhengwan didn't want to let him go and have him fall for someone else.
So she always kept him at arm's length, making sure he wouldn't overstep the mark and ruin their relationship after confessing his feelings. At the same time, she would show a bit of warmth at the right moment to keep him from giving up on her completely.
Qin Anjie was dressed in a dark blue robe with a valuable jade pendant hanging from his waist. He was handsome and imposing. No wonder Gu Zhengwan took a fancy to him.
Hearing the familiar voice, Qin Anjie looked in the direction of the sound and immediately saw Gu Zhengwan beside Gu Jiangyue. A smile instantly appeared on his face. He strode towards her.
When he saw Gu Jiangyue, a flash of surprise crossed his eyes, but it quickly turned into disgust. He simply ignored her and walked straight past.
All these little gestures didn't escape Gu Jiangyue's eyes. She didn't bother to care about him. She didn't even need to guess. It must be her good younger sister who had said something to Qin Anjie, distorting the facts and smearing her, which was why he disliked her so much.
A mocking smile curled Gu Jiangyue's lips under the veil. He was truly a perfect match for Gu Zhengwan.
"I haven't seen you for a long time, so I naturally came."
Qin Anjie's voice sounded beside Gu Jiangyue. She didn't want to listen to their flirtatious talk, but since she was standing so close, she had no choice.
"Lord Qin, you're being too kind."
Although Gu Zhengwan thought it was inappropriate, a shy look still appeared on her face. Her voice became softer and softer, and from time to time, she would secretly cast a smug look at Gu Jiangyue.
These words sounded like flirting to Qin Anjie's ears.
Gu Jiangyue couldn't stand it anymore. She scanned the crowd, looking for an excuse to leave quickly. Finally, she saw a familiar figure.
The man was dressed in a white luxurious robe. He was as graceful as jade, with his long black hair loosely tied up. His beautiful peach blossom eyes were unfathomable, like spring water one moment and a cold pool the next. This man was none other than Xie Jiuan.
Gu Jiangyue didn't care about anything else. She strode towards Xie Jiuan.
When everyone saw Xie Jiuan coming, they quickly stepped aside, afraid of provoking this dissolute young prince and getting bullied by him.
A path was actually cleared in the crowd for Xie Jiuan. It seemed that everyone was waiting for him to pass before they dared to move forward.
Xie Jiuan didn't care about these things at all. He walked straight towards Gu Jiangyue without looking sideways.
"Jiangyue pays respects to Prince Jiuan."
In the past, when they met privately, there were not so many formalities. But now it was different. Gu Jiangyue still respectfully saluted Xie Jiuan.
Xie Jiuan had a nonchalant smile on his lips. He nodded to return the salute, then tilted his chin forward, indicating for Gu Jiangyue to lead the way.
The young prince didn't even want to say an extra word after all the things people had said to him, and he even asked someone to lead the way for him. The onlookers felt that Xie Jiuan's bad reputation was further confirmed.
When the crowd fell silent, Gu Zhengwan naturally noticed this side. She was extremely happy to see Gu Jiangyue being treated coldly.
Gu Jiangyue didn't bother to care about any of the inquisitive looks. Her almond eyes still carried a gentle smile. She turned around and walked towards the door.
Xie Jiuan followed two or three steps behind her. After this living deity was a bit farther away, the crowd resumed their previous noise.
Gu Jiangyue knew that Xie Jiuan asking her to follow him must mean there was something else, not just leading the way.
Sure enough, after Gu Jiangyue led Xie Jiuan into her courtyard, Xie Jiuan directly sent the servants around him away. Then he turned around and stared at Gu Jiangyue without blinking.
Just when Gu Jiangyue thought the young prince was going to reveal some important news, Xie Jiuan opened his thin lips and slowly uttered a few words.
"Is your face healed?"
Gu Jiangyue frowned slightly. Was this still the cold and taciturn young prince she saw at the gate of the Gu Mansion just now?
Looking at Xie Jiuan's sincere eyes, Gu Jiangyue suppressed the urge to roll her eyes at him and patiently replied,
"Yes, it's healed. Thank you for your concern, Prince Jiuan."
Although he got the answer, Xie Jiuan still seemed persistent. His gaze shifted to the veil on Gu Jiangyue's face.
His expression clearly said, I don't believe it. Let me take a look.
Gu Jiangyue let out a long sigh. Since this man had helped her, if it were someone else, she would probably have asked Zhiyuan to show the guest out long ago.
Gu Jiangyue took off the veil on her face, revealing a delicate face. The red marks on her face had completely disappeared. Her skin was fair, her rosy lips were full, and coupled with her almond eyes that stared straight at Xie Jiuan, she exuded a kind of cold and alluring charm that was truly breathtaking.
Xie Jiuan was slightly stunned when he saw the little face in front of him. After he came to his senses, a smile spread across his eyes. It was good that nothing had gone wrong. It was worth it for him to ask Old Man Song to use the most expensive and best medicine.
He didn't know why, but he was really worried about Gu Jiangyue. He wanted to see her but didn't know what excuse to use. He was also afraid of delaying his own business, so he simply listened to her play the piano outside her courtyard for a few days.
He trusted Song Zhong's medical skills, but he still couldn't rest assured. So he decided to come and see for himself.
"Prince Jiuan, you've seen. Can you tell me how the matter with the Lin family has been handled?"
Gu Jiangyue casually put the veil back on, blocking Xie Jiuan's sight.