The candy seller had long since left. Gu Liyue let out a soft sigh and turned to walk towards the Fortune Tower.
Gu Chengzhi originally didn't want to let Feng Sui off easily, but Lu Jinchen stopped him and gave Feng Sui a cold look.
"If you dare to pester her again, the Feng family need not stay in the capital any longer."
Gu Liyue sat in the private room. There was a table full of delicious delicacies, but she had no appetite. She simply ate a little and then put down her chopsticks.
Gu Chengzhi mumbled, "Don't worry, sister. When we get back, I'll tell Father about what happened today. I won't allow the Feng family to show up here anymore."
Gu Liyue shook her head. "Don't do that. Anyway, the Feng family has been kind to me."
"What kind of kindness..." Gu Chengzhi cursed, then felt it was inappropriate to do so in front of his sister and changed the topic. "What kindness? Was their kindness sending you to the Jiang family to suffer?"
Gu Liyue explained, "It wasn't suffering, Fourth Brother. I used to live a hard life in the countryside. If it weren't for the Feng family showing me a way out, Yunniang and I really wouldn't have been able to make it. It was the Feng family that helped me get a connection and leave Yangxin Town to start a new life. Moreover, I didn't live a hard life in the Jiang family. I just wasn't good at scheming. And coming to the capital also allowed me to find my relatives. So, considering all this, the Feng family helped me. How could I forget their kindness?"
Seeing his sister say this, Gu Chengzhi just raised his head to drink and didn't say anything more.
Gu Liyue hesitated for a moment, then summoned up her courage and explained to Lu Jinchen, "I didn't have much interaction with Young Master Feng. When I followed the Feng family's carriage before, I was always with Yunniang and the two maids. I never met him alone..."
"Don't need to explain." Lu Jinchen looked at her seriously. "I believe you. You don't need to explain these things to me. I won't misunderstand you."
"You... believe me?"
Lu Jinchen raised his eyebrows and smiled. "I know what kind of person you are, so I naturally believe you. It's not your fault. It's him who had evil intentions. He wanted to have you but also thought you should become better to be worthy of him. What kind of love is that with such selfish desires? You don't need to blame yourself. If you have treasures in your bosom, you'll always meet hungry wolves. You're so good. The fact that he likes you means he's not completely blind."
Gu Liyue blushed and lowered her head. Back in Yangxin Town, even those who knew the inside story of her annulment of engagement with Feng Lanqing liked to say behind her back that it was her fault that she was disliked by Feng Lanqing.
She once heard people scolding a widow on the street, calling her shameless for seducing men. But she clearly remembered that the widow was a poor woman struggling to raise her son and daughter. Just because she had no man to support her and was harassed by a few hooligans, people said that the widow was immoral.
No matter what a woman did, as long as there was the slightest sign of trouble, people would blame it on the woman.
Gu Liyue was really afraid that what Feng Sui had just said would make Lu Jinchen misunderstand her.
But he said that if you have treasures in your bosom, you'll always meet hungry wolves.
Gu Chengzhi finally caught on and chimed in, "Right, sister. You don't need to be afraid. It's their fault. It won't happen again in the future. You're a daughter of the Gu family. You're my sister. I'll definitely protect you and keep you safe."
Gu Liyue curved her eyebrows and felt in a good mood. Yes, she wasn't alone now. She had her loving family and... him.
After the meal, Gu Liyue felt a bit sleepy, so Gu Chengzhi said goodbye to Lu Jinchen.
Lu Jinchen didn't say a word. He just stared at Gu Liyue for a while, then nodded, got up and left first.
However, after getting on the carriage, Gu Liyue became wide awake. She never had the habit of taking an afternoon nap since she was a child. Even when she had an easy life in the Jiang family, she used the noon time to read and write.
She took out the hair ribbon from her sleeve and carefully studied the embroidery on it.
Gu Chengzhi saw the hair ribbon and asked in surprise, "Why do you still keep this hair ribbon?"
Gu Liyue was confused. "If I don't keep it, what should I do with it?"
Gu Chengzhi asked, "Didn't you buy this to give to someone?"
"Give it to who? The words on this hair ribbon are too gaudy. Unless there's a young man who likes this kind of thing, who would wear it?" Gu Liyue was very puzzled and continued, "I bought it because I thought the embroidery on it was good. I wanted to study it and learn from it."
Gu Chengzhi looked at his sister's hands carefully fiddling with the hair ribbon. So it wasn't for Lu Jinchen.
Hehe.
He felt happy. That's right. It was impossible for his sister to give something to an outsider before giving it to him.
Gu Liyue didn't know what Gu Chengzhi was thinking. After studying it for a while, she said, "This embroidery technique is very good. I should be able to embroider it. How about I embroider a small pouch for you, Fourth Brother?"
Gu Chengzhi nodded repeatedly. "Okay."
Gu Liyue murmured to herself, "I'll embroider one for each of the other brothers. The hand warmer for Grandmother is too dark in color. I'll embroider a new one for her later. What should I embroider for Grandfather? His legs aren't very good, but it's already the end of the twelfth lunar month. Will it be too late to make knee pads? And..."
Gu Chengzhi twitched the corner of his mouth and quickly said, "Sister, embroidery is tiring for the mind and eyes. There are embroiderers in the mansion who can do it. Why do you have to do it yourself? Don't work so hard. Grandmother will feel sorry for you if she knows."
Gu Liyue lowered her head and said, "But you're all so good to me. I don't know how to repay you."
Gu Chengzhi quickly said, "You're my sister. Isn't it natural for us to be good to you? Why do you need to repay us?"
Gu Liyue looked up at Gu Chengzhi. She knew that he had a rather bad temper and was carefree. She used to think he was hard to get along with, but now she realized that was only towards outsiders.
She was happy in her heart. Her brother was so good to her. He really regarded her as his sister.
The carriage suddenly braked sharply. Gu Liyue rushed forward and almost fell. Fortunately, Gu Chengzhi held her in time.
Gu Chengzhi angrily lifted the curtain of the carriage and scolded, "How do you drive?"
The coachman didn't answer. Gu Chengzhi had already seen a woman holding her head high in front.
"Oh, it turns out to be Young Master Gu's carriage. I was just saying that a good dog doesn't block the way. Why don't you make way when you see this princess?"
Gu Chengzhi jumped out of the carriage and pointed at the woman. "I'm in a good mood today, so I won't argue with you. Get out of my way quickly."
The woman sneered. "What arrogance! I wonder if you can take this whip of mine!"
Gu Chengzhi glanced at her and said impatiently, "Get lost. I'm in a hurry."
The woman was extremely surprised. "Huh? You're not even going to fight with me? This isn't like you."
She rolled her eyes, guessed that there was someone in the carriage, then flew from the horse onto the carriage, kicked the coachman away, and suddenly opened the carriage door, looking directly at Gu Liyue inside.
Gu Liyue was scared out of her wits. How could this woman be so fierce? There were tears in her eyes, and she immediately shrank back.
Gu Chengzhi was furious. He came up and pulled the woman down, quickly twisted her hands behind her back, and pressed her to the ground, shouting angrily, "Lu Yunxi, if you have something to say, come at me. Why do you pick on her?"