Gu Liyue was sitting beside Mrs. Feng, teaching her the technique of double - sided embroidery. Startled by Feng Sui's shout, she accidentally pricked her finger with the needle, and a drop of blood welled up. Fortunately, Gu Liyue was quick - witted enough not to let the blood drip onto the embroidery cloth.
Mrs. Feng was just getting up to greet her son. Hearing the commotion, she quickly turned around and moved the embroidery cloth away. She had spent a great deal of effort on this embroidery, and it would be difficult to wash if it got dirty.
When she looked up again, she quickly shouted, "Come here quickly. Someone, bring the ointment. Miss Gu is injured."
Gu Liyue put her finger in her mouth and sucked it for a while, then smiled. "Mrs. Feng, it's already okay."
Mrs. Feng scrutinized her carefully. "A young lady's hands are as important as her face."
Gu Liyue smiled again. "It's really nothing. I do embroidery work, and such things are inevitable. I'm not that delicate."
Feng Sui watched from the side. The young girl was charming. Although she had endured a tiring journey, she seemed to have grown more attractive than before. The once - skinny girl had, over the past month or so, developed plump cheeks, and her face was fair and tender.
Moreover, while other girls would always cry and whine when something happened, she was different. She was very strong.
Feng Sui bypassed his mother and walked up to Gu Liyue. "Are you really okay? I have some white jade ointment. It won't leave a scar if you use it."
Gu Liyue withdrew her hand and shook her head. She bowed to Mrs. Feng. "Madam, since the young master is looking for you, I'll go back first. I'll come again next time."
Feng Sui watched the young girl's back and was momentarily in a daze. She seemed to have grown taller. Her clothes didn't fit well. The sleeves were a bit short, and the outer robe was a bit tight, making her figure look more graceful.
He thought to himself that he should ask his mother to buy her a few more sets of well - fitting clothes later.
Mrs. Feng packed up her things. Seeing her son's look, she frowned slightly.
That night, two more people appeared in Feng Sui's courtyard.
"I'm the maid Ziyu."
"I'm the maid Hongyu."
Feng Sui had been painting. In the landscape painting, a young girl stood on a cliff, her figure graceful and charming. She seemed to be admiring the scenery, or perhaps, trying to attract others' attention.
He was reluctant to stop painting and didn't even look up. "What do you want?"
The nanny beside him quickly explained, "Young Master, Madam sent them here to serve you in the room."
Feng Sui understood what the nanny meant. He had traveled far and wide with his father, seen a lot of the world, and met many girls. Moreover, being nearly twenty years old, he wasn't inexperienced with women.
He looked up at the two maids and felt a wave of impatience. The woman he met at the age of fifteen was charming and mature, but she had trampled on his sincere heart.
After that, he no longer thought that sincerity was a good thing. Among the women arranged by his parents, there were those he liked, but none of the relationships lasted.
It was not until this time that he understood that feelings should be pure, just like the shyness of that young girl. It was definitely not like these two girls who pretended to be shy but were actually excited.
Feng Sui took a deep breath and waved his hand. "Oh, okay. Just so happens, there's a landscape painting of Luoyun in my cabinet. You two take it out."
Ziyu and Hongyu were confused but did as they were told. They took out the landscape painting and found that it was very large. One person couldn't hold it at all. They had to unfold it to see the whole picture.
Feng Sui nodded. "Yes, that's it. Step back a bit more and stretch it out."
He took out a new piece of drawing paper and started to paint stroke by stroke, following the landscape painting.
The nanny was surprised and embarrassed. She stood there uncomfortably and whispered, "Young Master, it's getting late..."
"It's getting late," Feng Sui smiled faintly. "Nanny, go back first. I'm going to paint here tonight."
The nanny scratched her head and said, "But, Young Master, what about them..."
"Weren't they sent by Mother to serve me?"
Feng Sui was usually amiable, but this was the first time he was so stern. The nanny was startled and left with her head down.
Early the next morning, after having breakfast, Gu Liyue took a stroll in the garden to digest. These days had been easy for her. Someone took care of all her daily needs. In the morning, the nanny would teach her etiquette, and in the afternoon, she would learn to read and do embroidery. Mrs. Feng even knew that she liked to read and specially invited a female tutor to teach her for an hour every day.
However, Gu Liyue felt more and more uneasy. What kind of family would she be going to? The Feng family treated her so well. What would happen to her after she left?
Around the corner, she saw Feng Sui standing there with two lotus flowers in his hands.
It wasn't midsummer yet, and most lotus flowers were still buds. These two blooming lotus flowers were quite rare.
Feng Sui walked over enthusiastically. "Miss Gu."
Gu Liyue paused. Seeing the two outstretched lotus flowers, she hesitated for a moment, then covered her nose and sneezed. She looked at Feng Sui apologetically. "Young Master, sorry. I... can't really stand this smell."
Feng Sui awkwardly took the flowers back and casually threw them into the flower bed beside. "I didn't figure it out. I thought all you girls liked fresh flowers."
Gu Liyue waved her hand clumsily. "Well, others might. If the Young Master has nothing else, I'll go back first. The etiquette nanny will come soon."
Feng Sui stepped forward to block her. "Liyue, I have something to say to you."
Gu Liyue was like a frightened little rabbit and jumped back suddenly. She stammered, "Young Master, I really have something to do. I..."
Just then, Yunniang came looking for her. Gu Liyue seemed to have found a backbone and quickly hid behind Yunniang.
Seeing Yunniang's vigilant look, Feng Sui didn't say anything in the end. He just nodded and turned away.
Gu Liyue gently stroked her chest and glanced at the two discarded lotus flowers in the flower bed. Such beautiful lotus flowers. If she had them at home, she could embroider them, and they would surely look vivid.
Yunniang gestured: Liyue, what's wrong?
Gu Liyue shook her head. "It's okay. Let's go back quickly. We'd better not leave the courtyard in the future."
But when she turned around, she saw Ziyu and Hongyu standing behind them.
Gu Liyue was a bit curious. These two maids didn't serve Mrs. Feng closely. They were very beautiful and had haughty personalities. She didn't know why they looked so haggard today.
"Hello, elder sister."
Ziyu and Hongyu glanced at each other, sneered, and their eyes were filled with venom.
Gu Liyue sighed slightly and quickly went back to the courtyard with Yunniang.
In the afternoon, the female tutor didn't come. The nanny beside Mrs. Feng came to invite her.
Gu Liyue didn't think much and followed the nanny to Mrs. Feng's room. But she found that Mrs. Feng wasn't in front of the embroidery frame. Instead, she was sitting in the chair on the upper seat with a solemn expression.
Her heart skipped a beat. Mrs. Feng had always been kind to her. Why was she so serious today?
"Madam?"
Mrs. Feng looked at her coldly. "How old are you?"
Gu Liyue answered in a low voice. "Fifteen."
"Fifteen... the age when one's heart is filled with longing. But you should know your own status. Never harbor unrealistic thoughts about things you shouldn't."