By this time, Gu Liyue was truly glad that she had broken off the engagement in time. How could a person who swore so casually be a good match?
"Miss, believe it or not. If you have any doubts, just go to Yangxin Town and ask. Many people know about the harm he and others did to me at the beginning of this year. Oh, although he broke off the engagement with me, he has already promised to marry my cousin. I wonder if he would break off that engagement for you."
Gu Liyue said it calmly. As if thinking for a moment, she added, "Of course, if he is willing to do so, who knows if he will break off the engagement with you for another woman in the future when he has a better future."
Qiaomei grew up in a tavern. Since childhood, she had learned from her parents and siblings how to deal with all kinds of people. Naturally, she was not as naive as the former Gu Liyue. At first, she just watched. But after hearing what Gu Liyue said, she had her own thoughts.
No matter how Feng Lanqing begged, Qiaomei remained unmoved. She sneered and shook off Feng Lanqing's hand that was holding her sleeve. Instead, she bowed to Gu Liyue.
"Thank you, miss. It's already not easy for us women to live in this world, but there are still people who unjustly accuse and scold us for no reason. Please take good care of yourself."
There were many acquaintances in the county town, so Qiaomei didn't stay long. She turned around and left.
Feng Lanqing quickly chased after her. "Qiaomei, listen to me. What she said is not true. She's just jealous of you..."
Qiaomei stopped and stared at Feng Lanqing fiercely. "If you keep pestering me, my father and brothers will never let you go!"
Gu Liyue stared blankly at Qiaomei's back as she left. Her heart felt heavy. Qiaomei could avoid Feng Lanqing's entanglement because she had her father and brothers. They would never let her fall into a difficult situation. But what about her?
Her eyes were slightly red. Life had to go on. She still had Yunniang.
Feng Lanqing stamped his foot in anger. He knew that although Liu Qinting was good to him, the Liu family was extremely stingy. They would never give him extra money to support him. He had finally managed to get close to Qiaomei. He had calculated that she would be able to support him until the provincial examination. But after just this one trip out, Qiaomei was gone?
It was all Gu Liyue's fault.
Feng Lanqing was filled with hatred. Looking back and seeing Gu Liyue lowering her head and pulling Yunniang away, he became even angrier. Without thinking, he raised his fist and swung it at Gu Liyue.
By the time Gu Liyue reacted, Feng Lanqing's fist was already in front of her. She was so scared that she didn't have time to react. She thought she was going to take this punch head - on, and tears welled up in her eyes instantly.
Just then, a big hand beside her grabbed Feng Lanqing's wrist and gently pushed him. Feng Lanqing fell to the ground.
Gu Liyue subconsciously turned around and saw it was the official Lu from last time.
Lu Jinchen's expression was calm. He coldly shook off Feng Lanqing and subconsciously looked down at the little girl he had just protected. This little girl seemed to have grown a bit in the past ten days. The clothes on her body looked a bit short.
But she was still very thin. When she was speaking just now, she seemed so righteous. But with just this turn of her head, he saw the scared tears in her eyes. The punch hadn't even landed, yet she was so scared.
For some reason, Lu Jinchen found it a bit funny. Pretending to be strong, she was really just a child.
Feng Lanqing scrambled up awkwardly and pointed at Lu Jinchen. "Who do you think you are? Do you know who I am?"
Lu Jinchen retracted his hand and slowly took out a handkerchief to wipe his hands. There was no expression on his face, but this action showed his extreme disgust, obviously towards Feng Lanqing whom he had just touched.
"Oh? Do I need to know who you are?"
Feng Lanqing's face turned bright red. Now he also noticed that the man in front of him had an extraordinary air. He gulped and said stubbornly, "I... I... And who are you?"
Lu Jinchen raised his eyebrows and ignored him. He just glanced at Gu Liyue and asked, "Are you okay?"
Gu Liyue quickly replied, "Thank you, Official Lu. I'm fine."
Only then did Feng Lanqing realize that Gu Liyue knew the man in front of him. She was really promiscuous. It had only been a short time since they broke off the engagement and since she left the Liu family, and now she was already hooking up with another man!
He was really unwilling. He glared at Gu Liyue hatefully. "Gu Liyue, I wondered why you wanted to break off the engagement. It turns out you've already been hooking up with someone else. You..."
Two guards appeared behind Lu Jinchen. They just unsheathed their swords at their waists, and Feng Lanqing swallowed the rest of his words. He turned around and squeezed into the crowd and ran away.
"My lord, should we chase him?"
Lu Jinchen paused for a moment and then turned around, looking at Gu Liyue with an inquiring look.
Gu Liyue waved her hands repeatedly. "No, no. Thank you, Official Lu, for your help. Thank you so much. I'm sorry to trouble you. I... I'll leave now."
She was also scared. In her eyes, the official Lu in front of her was much more terrifying than Feng Lanqing. If Feng Lanqing really took action, the spittle of others would be enough to drown him. But this official... She couldn't afford to offend him. It was better for her to leave quickly.
Just then, a small figure popped out from the side. "Sister!"
Gu Liyue looked and immediately stopped. She caught the little boy who was rushing towards her. "A Jie, are you fully recovered?"
Lin Zhijie immediately hugged Gu Liyue's waist and rubbed against her. "Sister, I missed you so much. I wanted to go and see you, but mother and Brother Gu Si wouldn't let me. They're so mean. Humph!"
Gu Liyue happily took his hand. "Are you really fully recovered? You must be obedient from now on. You're not allowed to go up the mountain alone to play. Do you understand?"
Lin Zhijie had heard these words every day since he got home. Naturally, he didn't want to hear them anymore. He followed Gu Liyue and walked outside, saying, "Is sister going home? I'll walk you home."
Gu Liyue was startled and waved her hands repeatedly. "No... No need. I still have something to do. I..."
Lin Zhijie was overjoyed. "That's great. I'll go with you. Sister, just now there was a bad guy bullying you. If it weren't for Brother Jinchen, you would have been in trouble. But now you don't have to worry. I'll protect you."
Gu Liyue didn't know what to do. She had taken Mrs. Lin's money just to make Mrs. Lin feel at ease, and she had no intention of using the kindness of saving A Jie to gain anything. So she didn't want to have any more contact with this little guy. They were not from the same world.
She hesitated for a moment and then just turned back and looked at Lu Jinchen for help.
Seeing this, Lin Zhijie immediately ran to Lu Jinchen's side. Since Lu Jinchen was tall, he could only hug his leg and pull on his clothes to act coquettishly. "Brother Jinchen, you promised to play with me today. Can we go and walk sister home together?"
Lu Jinchen didn't like to get involved in extra matters. His eyebrows were knitted. After a moment of hesitation, he looked up at the young girl. She was such a small girl. He had previously suspected that she was only twelve years old. Now it seemed that she was older, but just too thin. She was timid but tough.
For some reason, he didn't refuse. He just nodded slightly. "Let's go."