Cheng Xiran and Mu Li slowly backed out of the cubicle and slipped out of the Cheng Mansion through the back courtyard.
"A Li, do you think we should go to the Gu Mansion to check the situation? This Qian Youliang has an unpredictable temper. We don't know what outrageous things he might do," Cheng Xiran said, feeling a sense of unease.
But Mu Li beside her nodded and replied, "We can go and watch the show, but don't interfere. I once heard from the prince that this Gu Yuanqing has ill intentions towards you. He specifically told me to be extra careful around this guy surnamed Gu."
This Helian Duo was so considerate. How come she didn't know?
At the mention of him, Cheng Xiran couldn't help but recall the figure that had flashed before her eyes.
She shook her head. This was not the time to think about him.
"Fine. Let's go and take a look. I also want to see how Gu Yuanqing will choose between his official career and the woman he's been in love with for years," Cheng Xiran said with a hint of cunning in her eyes. Then she and Mu Li walked into a long alley on one side to take a shortcut.
When they arrived at the Gu Mansion, they used the same old trick. They leaped onto a corner of the eaves and carefully observed everything below. As Cheng Xiran had expected, Qian Youliang was a brute with more brawn than brains. He would never do anything himself or even say a word if he could solve a problem with money or manpower.
So when Gu Yuanqing opened the door and saw the angry Qian Youliang in front of him, he thought the man looked familiar but couldn't remember who he was for a moment. Suddenly, two burly men hiding on both sides jumped out and started beating him.
"Your name is Gu Yuanqing, right? I'm warning you. If you dare to look for my Zhiyue again in the future, it won't just be a good beating. I'll surely ruin your reputation, make you leave the capital forever, and I might even kill you!"
Qian Youliang played the role of a stupid but powerful and vicious villain to perfection. Seeing this, Cheng Xiran on the rooftop felt a chill in her heart. She couldn't help but say, "It seems it's time for us to stop."
If they continued to play around, they might even get themselves into trouble.
But Mu Li gently comforted her, "Don't worry, miss. I'll protect you."
The two of them quietly left the Gu Mansion. She didn't know what happened next. Probably no one dared to step forward to help. Only after Qian Youliang and his men had left did someone dare to call a doctor for Gu Yuanqing, who was lying in a pool of blood.
Anyway, when she arrived at the newspaper office with a sigh, she learned that the news about Gu Yuanqing had already spread across half of the capital.
"It seems the news spreads as fast here as it did in our place," Cheng Xiran said as she brewed a pot of the flower and fruit tea that Xue Lianyu had left here. Watching the steam rise, she didn't even realize that she had spoken out of turn.
The shopkeeper beside her didn't seem to mind much. He just sighed softly and said, "It's mainly because Young Master Gu was beaten so badly. I heard that when the doctor first went there, he refused to treat him because he heard it was Young Master Qian who had someone do it. It was only after the Gu family begged and begged that he finally agreed to treat him. I heard that he was beaten half to death. If it had been any later, he might have died."
Cheng Xiran's hand holding the teapot trembled. "It's that serious?"
"Sure is. Young Master Qian has many lives on his hands..." The shopkeeper said this while looking around warily.
Cheng Xiran frowned slightly. "But he seemed different yesterday... It seems this man is really someone not to be provoked. He might be extremely nice to you when he's in a good mood, but when he turns against you, he'll be really hard to deal with."
The shopkeeper nodded in agreement.
Cheng Xiran was thinking about how to cut off her connection with Qian Youliang when she saw the shopkeeper, who had been leisurely drinking tea at the door, suddenly change his expression. Without caring that the hot tea had spilled and burned his hand, he said, "Miss, Young Master Qian is coming this way. He might be looking for you. Do you want to go upstairs and hide?"
"Why hide? The more I hide, the more suspicious he'll be..." Cheng Xiran sat up straight. She gave Mu Li a look to signal her to step back, then nodded at the shopkeeper and said, "Don't be too panicked. We can't lose our composure."
Just as she finished speaking, Qian Youliang was already leaning against the door, blocking the sunlight.