Xie Jiuan didn't answer directly but gave a mysterious smile. "You'll know the result soon."
Gu Jiangyue saw that this person deliberately didn't make it clear, so she was too lazy to ask again and simply prepared to leave.
Many royal relatives and prominent families had come to the Gu Mansion today. The old matriarch was extremely busy. She had been called away by Xie Jiuan in front of everyone just now, but it wasn't appropriate for them to stay together for too long. So Gu Jiangyue was about to leave.
For some reason, just a few steps away, she remembered what Xie Jiuan had promised her that day in the Bishui Yunju. Where was her hairpin?
Today was her fifteenth birthday. All the guests had brought gifts, and the records had been made at the entrance of the Gu Mansion. Gu Jiangyue didn't see Xie Jiuan or his servant carrying any gift boxes.
Gu Jiangyue stopped in her tracks and turned to look at Xie Jiuan behind her. Xie Jiuan had no particular expression on his face, with a faint smile on his lips. There was no warmth in his beautiful peach blossom eyes.
It seemed that Xie Jiuan had no intention of giving her anything.
Gu Jiangyue turned around and let out a self - deprecating laugh. She had actually believed Xie Jiuan's words. Everyone in the capital knew that Prince Xie, the ninth son of the emperor, was a frivolous and dissolute person. He must have made countless promises to women.
Gu Jiangyue didn't know what she was expecting. She gently shook her head and left the courtyard without looking back.
Almost all the guests had arrived. The old matriarch, wearing a magnificent purple robe, sat in the main seat with a steady air. The guests had already taken their seats.
"Welcome all of you to the Gu Mansion today to attend Jiangyue's coming - of - age ceremony," the old matriarch's aged voice rang out.
Gu Jiangyue stood quietly beside the old matriarch. Her bright eyes sized up the people in their seats imperceptibly.
Gu Zhengwan and Qin Anjie were sitting together. Gu Jiangyue wasn't surprised by this. After all, their relationship was extraordinary. However, although Gu Zhengwan was sitting with Qin Anjie, Gu Jiangyue could clearly see that her eyes were wandering around. Qin Anjie, sitting beside Gu Zhengwan, had an obvious smile on his face and didn't notice her behavior.
Finally, Gu Jiangyue saw that Gu Zhengwan's eyes stopped wandering and fixed on a certain place, as if she had found something.
Gu Jiangyue followed her gaze and immediately noticed the person at the end of Gu Zhengwan's sight. Then, she felt a sharp pain in her chest, as if a curved knife was cutting into her flesh.
The man was wearing a blue robe. His gentle and elegant face was all too familiar to Gu Jiangyue. It was the face that had appeared in her nightmares countless times after her rebirth, Xie Chengrui.
Looking at him, Gu Jiangyue couldn't help clenching her teeth. Only she knew what a devil was hidden beneath Xie Chengrui's gentle and jade - like appearance.
Even after twenty years of marriage, Gu Jiangyue couldn't warm his cold heart.
Xie Chengrui seemed to notice Gu Jiangyue's gaze. He turned to look at her, with a gentle smile on his lips, and nodded to greet her.
When Xie Chengrui came, Gu Jiangyue had already been called away by Xie Jiuan, so he hadn't seen her.
Gu Jiangyue stiffened. Looking at the smile that she had yearned for but couldn't get in her previous life, she felt no joy at all, only irony and disgust.
The belated affection was even more despicable than weeds, not to mention that it had never belonged to her in the first place.
Xie Chengrui and Xie Jiuan were sitting together. Xie Chengrui's mother was of a relatively low status, but she had given birth to a prince, so she had gained some status. She wasn't favored by the emperor. The emperor's neglect and others' disdain had shaped Xie Chengrui's character.
But Xie Chengrui was good at pretending. Although others didn't like him very much, they were willing to maintain a superficial harmony with him.
All the princes in the palace treated him like this, except for Xie Jiuan. Xie Jiuan was spoiled by the emperor and more willful than other princes. So he was too lazy to maintain a relationship with Xie Chengrui and said whatever he thought. His straightforward personality had offended Xie Chengrui many times, but Xie Chengrui couldn't do anything to him.
Only these two princes had come today, so they had sat together.
Now Xie Jiuan also noticed Gu Jiangyue's gaze. Gu Jiangyue originally wanted to move her gaze away quickly, but since Xie Chengrui had already noticed her, she simply looked past Xie Chengrui and gave Xie Jiuan a bright smile with curved eyes.
Xie Jiuan almost instantly understood what Gu Jiangyue meant and winked at her.
Xie Chengrui looked at the two of them, feeling quite puzzled. He wondered why Gu Jiangyue, who had been enthusiastic about him in the past, was ignoring him today.
It was Gu Zhengwan and her mother who had acted as matchmakers for him and Gu Jiangyue. Could it be that Gu Zhengwan had done something? Xie Chengrui was extremely confused. He maintained his smile and asked Xie Jiuan,
"Are you very familiar with Jiangyue, Brother Nine?"
Hearing this, the smile on Xie Jiuan's face disappeared completely at a visible speed. His expression was cold, and his tone was indifferent.
"What does it matter to you?"
How dare he call her Jiangyue!
Xie Chengrui was choked by his words and didn't know what to say for a moment. He awkwardly turned back, no longer looking at Gu Jiangyue or answering Xie Jiuan.
But he kept sneering at Xie Jiuan in his heart. Xie Jiuan was just a playboy, while he himself intended to become the emperor in the future.
Just then, Gu Zhengwan stood up with her head slightly lowered. Her voice was soft, as if she was shy, which made her look even more lively and charming.
"Zhengwan has been practicing dancing these days. I want to dance for Sister Jiangyue. This is my birthday gift for Sister Jiangyue. I hope Sister won't dislike it."
The way she said it made it seem as if Gu Jiangyue would dislike her.
Everyone cheered after hearing this.
"Everyone here knows that Miss Zhengwan is as beautiful as a fairy and her dance is stunning. We're eager to watch it. How could we dislike it?"
Qin Anjie stood up and started to praise Gu Zhengwan.
Hearing the praise, Gu Zhengwan pursed her lips and smiled, with a faint blush on her face.
As long as there were enough people who wanted to watch, what did Gu Jiangyue's opinion matter? She must dance today.
"This is Gu Jiangyue's coming - of - age ceremony. Moreover, her face hasn't fully recovered yet. It doesn't seem appropriate for you to make such a grand show," Gu Yimiao immediately saw through Gu Zhengwan's little scheme. She knew what kind of person Gu Zhengwan was and had even seen Gu Zhengwan secretly send people to bully Gu Jiangyue.
Moreover, she had never gotten along well with Gu Zhengwan and Gu Jiangyue. This time, she directly pointed out Gu Jiangyue's scar of disfigurement and Gu Zhengwan's intention to steal the show at someone else's coming - of - age ceremony.
Both of them had a feud with her, so she offended them both.