Gu Liyue was stunned. The child running towards her was actually A Jie. She quickly squatted down to catch him.
"A Jie, why are you here?"
"Sister, why are you here?"
The two blurted out simultaneously. Lin Zhijie giggled and wrapped his arms around Gu Liyue's neck. "Just now over there, I thought I was seeing things. I didn't expect it to be really you, sister. I've missed you so much."
Gu Liyue sized Lin Zhijie up and down. Seeing that he was doing well, she asked, "Are you also here for the eldest princess's birthday banquet today?"
Lin Zhijie blinked his curious eyes and reached out to ruffle her hairpin. "Sister, you're so silly. My mother is the eldest princess."
Gu Liyue was extremely surprised. She knew that Lin Zhijie came from a good family, but she never expected that Mrs. Lin was actually the eldest princess.
Lin Zhijie put his hands on his hips and pointed at Jiang Yingyue and her group. "She's my sister. If I ever catch you treating her badly again, I'll have my mother cut off your heads!"
The noble ladies present looked at each other in bewilderment, not understanding what was going on. Didn't Jiang Yingyue say that this Miss Gu Liyue was just a rural embroiderer who was fortuitously favored by Mrs. Jiang?
For a moment, their minds were in a whirl. Their gazes towards Jiang Yingyue were somewhat unfriendly. Yes, how could an ordinary country girl be so lucky to be taken in by the wife of the duke? Judging from Young Master Lin's attitude, this Miss Liyue clearly had a remarkable background. They were so stupid to be used by Jiang Yingyue.
The noble ladies each had their own thoughts. Some were wondering if they had spoken out to mock Gu Liyue just now, while others thought that just a few mocking glances didn't count for much. Some immediately let go of Jiang Yingyue's hand and distanced themselves. There were even those who had already thought about what gifts to give Gu Liyue to ease the unpleasantness of their first meeting.
Jiang Yingyue's face turned deathly pale. She couldn't understand how things had turned out like this. When did Gu Liyue develop such a good relationship with Lin Zhijie? Lin Zhijie was the only son of the eldest princess. Two years ago, something happened to the Lin family. Thanks to the eldest princess's status, they were only banished from the capital. Moreover, the eldest princess and Lin Zhijie were even doted on and favored by the emperor.
Gu Liyue was unaware of their thoughts. She was pulled by Lin Zhijie and ran to a pavilion nearby.
When Gu Liyue looked up, she saw Lu Jinchen and Gu Chengzhi sitting in the pavilion playing chess.
Lin Zhijie shouted loudly, "Brother Jinchen, Fourth Brother Gu, look who I've brought here?"
When Lu Jinchen saw Gu Liyue, his eyes narrowed slightly. He knew that she was coming to the capital and going to the Jiang family, but he didn't expect that in just a few months, Mrs. Jiang would bring her out to attend the banquet.
This woman was truly remarkable.
Gu Chengzhi asked, "Why are you here?"
Gu Liyue briefly explained how she came to the capital. "Thanks to Mrs. Jiang's care, I came here with her today."
Gu Chengzhi didn't believe it at all. He sneered, "You're really good at climbing up the social ladder. Back then, when you saw A Jie's high status, you..."
"Chengzhi." Lu Jinchen interrupted Gu Chengzhi calmly. He stood up and gave his seat to Gu Liyue. Then he said to Lin Zhijie, "A Jie, you talk to Miss Liyue. The princes are coming. I'll go over first."
Lin Zhijie nodded blankly. He told someone to put away the chessboard and ordered the maids to bring tea and snacks.
Gu Chengzhi followed Lu Jinchen away. He said unhappily, "The crown prince and the others haven't come yet. Why didn't you let me speak, Jinchen? That girl doesn't seem like a good person at all. She looks so scheming. We mustn't let A Jie get too close to her."
Lu Jinchen turned to look at him. "You weren't the kind of person who judged others by their appearance before."
Gu Chengzhi choked. "Anyway, I think there's something wrong with her. Think about it. How could a woman go from a poor rural girl to a delicate and precious young lady in just half a year?"
Lu Jinchen didn't comment. "Everyone has different fates. Instead of wasting your time on this, you'd better think about how to make your grandfather less angry."
Gu Chengzhi rolled his eyes. "You may not care, but I can't. I must investigate and find out where that girl really comes from."
...
Lin Zhijie couldn't sit still for long. After drinking some tea, he chatted with Gu Liyue and then pulled her up. "A few days ago, Fourth Brother Gu got me a Pekingese. Come on, I'll take you to see it."
Gu Liyue hesitated. "A Jie, I don't think we should go. It won't be good if we meet your Fourth Brother Gu again..."
Lin Zhijie puffed out his small chest. "Fourth Brother Gu is just like that. Sister, don't be afraid. I'm here. I won't let him bully you."
Gu Liyue smiled and tapped Lin Zhijie's head. Then she squatted down and looked at him seriously. "A Jie, I know you're good to me, but we should also be a bit more cautious. Our social statuses are different, and we shouldn't associate too much."
Lin Zhijie looked a bit dejected. He held Gu Liyue's hand. "Sister, but I want a real friend."
Gu Liyue didn't understand.
"Since I was a child, I've been the son of the eldest princess and the most beloved nephew of the emperor. But the people around me only play with me because of my status. I'm not happy."
Gu Liyue asked, "Don't you have any other friends? Like... Lord Lu and Lord Gu?"
Lin Zhijie lay on Gu Liyue's shoulder and whispered, "I used to have. My father was a marquis before. But two years ago, I don't know what happened. My father wasn't a marquis anymore, and all those little friends stopped playing with me. Later, Uncle Emperor took me into the palace and treated me even better. Then those people came back to play with me again, but I don't like them."
It's probably like this when the power fades. Gu Liyue felt a bit sad. A Jie was still a child, but he understood everything. And precisely because he understood everything, he knew how hard it was to have true feelings.
Gu Liyue didn't want Lin Zhijie to be so sad. She patted his back. "Didn't you just say you were going to take me to see the Pekingese?"
Lin Zhijie was just a child. His sadness came and went quickly. Soon he was skipping and pulling Gu Liyue to go and see the Pekingese.
They didn't notice that not far away, Jiang Yingyue was standing behind a tree, her hands clenched tightly. She was unwilling. Why could this Gu Liyue easily obtain what she had failed to get after ten years in the Jiang family?
Lin Zhijie's puppy was white and very friendly. It kept circling around Gu Liyue. Gu Liyue thought for a while and asked, "Do animals all like to play with other animals?"
"What?"
Gu Liyue said, "Mrs. Jiang has a cat that doesn't like to move much. But the doctor said the cat should move more. If I get it a lively kitten, will it become more active?"
Lin Zhijie of course didn't understand. Seeing the puppy running away in a flash, he chased after it.
Gu Liyue followed Lin Zhijie. As she walked, she thought that kittens were so lively. If she got a kitten back, Xiuqiu might also become more lively.
Before they knew it, the puppy ran to the waterside pavilion, and Lin Zhijie and Gu Liyue followed it there.