But An Xingzhi not only had Chu Nian'an firmly in her grasp, but Gu Xiao outside the pavilion was also quite smitten.
Recalling his brief verbal exchanges with Ning Yuwang just now and then thinking of An Xingzhi's gentle and charming demeanor, coupled with the fact that Yan Zhao doted on Ning Yuwang at every turn and completely ignored him, his own cousin, Gu Xiao became even more dissatisfied with Ning Yuwang.
"Miss An is so considerate and sensible, yet Ning Yuwang keeps pushing her around. It's really too much!"
Chu Heyao, far away in Xiaoshan, could never have imagined that Gu Xiao, who learned about the happenings in the capital through him, would grow to dislike Ning Yuwang because of his slight praise of her and mild disapproval of An Xingzhi.
If he knew what Gu Xiao was thinking now, he would probably rap on Gu Xiao's head and ask the Marquis of Wuan to punish him by making him face the wall in self - reflection.
This cousin was just too naive.
At this moment, Gu Xiao, who was left to his own devices, clenched his fists. He was determined to expose Ning Yuwang's true nature and make his cousin realize that a man should marry a gentle and proper woman like Miss An!
Inside the pavilion, Chu Nian'an was as happy as she appeared on the surface. While she seemed meek and obedient on the outside, she was secretly pleased with herself for having An Xingzhi under her thumb.
After coaxing Chu Nian'an to go back and try on the dark purple jewelry, An Xingzhi sat alone in the pavilion.
Her fingernails, dyed red with balsam flowers, were exquisitely beautiful, with gold - threaded beads on the tips. An Xingzhi calmly traced the stone tabletop with her nails, the sound of the collision between her nails and the stone table being rather harsh.
If it weren't for Chu Nian'an's status as a princess, she wouldn't have bothered to lower herself and coax her.
The difference in social status was even clearer in An Xingzhi's mind at this moment. And her determination to become the most powerful woman under the emperor grew stronger.
It was a pity that Chu Heye had returned to the palace early because of the emperor's accidental fall into the water. Otherwise, with her methods, she would have already coaxed him back to good spirits.
Unconsciously, her fingertips twirled the almond pastry on the table, crushing it into pieces.
"Miss An."
Gu Xiao stood behind her, his gaze fixed gently and intently on her profile.
An Xingzhi turned around. Her beautiful eyes sparkled as she quietly hid the crumbs in her palm. "Young Master Gu."
Her beautiful eyes were as gentle as water, full of affection, as if hiding countless sentiments.
Gu Xiao, who already had romantic feelings for her, was even more captivated.
"I'm sorry about yesterday."
Gu Xiao was referring to the time when he had fled the deck in annoyance.
But An Xingzhi seemed to have forgotten. She was briefly stunned. "What is Young Master Gu referring to? I can't remember."
Understanding and kind - hearted.
Gu Xiao used all the few words he knew to describe An Xingzhi. He even compared her with Ning Yuwang. Although Ning Yuwang was as beautiful as a celestial being, she was too sharp - tongued and cold.
She couldn't compare to An Xingzhi's gentle and sweet charm.
Gu Xiao scratched his head and smiled shyly.
An Xingzhi thoughtfully changed the topic. "Why did Young Master Gu suddenly return to the capital?"
Gu Xiao's smile faded slightly. "The Marquis of Wuan's mansion received a summons from the emperor and was ordered to enter the capital soon."
His father, Gu Wu, would arrive in a few days.
An Xingzhi gave a helpless smile. "It seems we're both in a situation beyond our control."
The Marquis of Wuan had left resolutely back then. Even though he knew how dangerous Xiaoshan was, he had not hesitated.
Everyone in the capital had thought that the Gu family would never return.
There was a hidden meaning in her twinkling eyes. Did Gu Xiao's sudden appearance in the capital mean that the Gu family was about to make a comeback?
But Gu Xiao detected a hint of helplessness in her tone. "Does Miss An also have things beyond her control?"
An Xingzhi nodded almost imperceptibly and slowly looked out at the lake outside the pavilion. "As a woman, there are too many things in life that one has no choice about."
She let out a sigh. "Under the pressure of imperial power, there are some things one has to obey. But I, Xingzhi, yearn for freedom."
The hidden meaning in her words seemed to suggest that because of imperial power, she was forced to be tied to the Third Prince, Chu Heye. And she herself didn't like Chu Heye.
A glimmer of light gradually appeared in Gu Xiao's eyes. "Miss An, if there were a chance to the road of freedom, would you choose it?"
The lake was sparkling, and the ice had already melted with the appearance of sunlight.
Just like Gu Xiao's heart, it was gradually warming up.
He casually picked a twig and waved it around, smiling with raised eyebrows.
Even after leaving the pavilion, he was still immersed in An Xingzhi's answer.
She had said, "Yes."
Pei Yunlu stood far outside the pavilion, looking at Gu Xiao fawning over An Xingzhi with disdain.
Lu Jin was still unconscious. She had originally wanted to find Ning Yuwang to go and check on him again. But unexpectedly, she saw this scene.
Gu Xiao was her stupid cousin after all, but he was being easily manipulated by An Xingzhi.
Pei Yunlu couldn't help but frown. What a shame for the family!
After Gu Xiao left, An Xingzhi threw the crushed pastry in her palm into the lake.
Because it had been in her palm for too long, the sweetness of the pastry had left a sticky residue on her hand.
The shadow servant behind her immediately wiped her palm with a handkerchief. "Why did you say those things to Young Master Gu, miss?"
Even though the shadow servant had only been with An Xingzhi for a short time, she more or less knew her thoughts.
Compared with Gu Xiao, the Third Prince, Chu Heye, was obviously a better match for her ambition.
But An Xingzhi's words just now had given Gu Xiao hope.
"What do you know?"
An Xingzhi suppressed her impatience. "Because of the princess's dislike, my aunt has resented me. My marriage to the Third Prince could fall through because of her words. I have to plan for myself."
Chu Heye and Chu Nian'an had strong personalities, and she had to coax them at every turn.
If either of the siblings was unhappy, they would make things difficult for her and ignore her.
But Gu Xiao was different. An Xingzhi, who had been carefully raised since childhood, could clearly see the affection in Gu Xiao's eyes.
The future with Chu Heye was uncertain, while Gu Xiao was whole - heartedly devoted to her.
If it weren't for the supreme power, perhaps An Xingzhi would really choose Gu Xiao.
There was still a sticky feeling in her palm, which An Xingzhi really disliked. She wanted to go back to the house and wash her hands properly.
Some thoughts were hidden deep in her heart. For example, the crown prince had not been determined yet, and the Third Prince was just the Third Prince.
She had already made a decision and blocked all her retreats. She had staked her whole life on Chu Heye.
If everything went wrong, she would lose a great deal.
So, she wanted to have an extra option. She also wanted to use this to force Chu Heye and make him realize that she wasn't someone no one wanted.
She, An Xingzhi, was both beautiful and talented, and from a noble family. Why should she be tied to just one man!
After seeing An Xingzhi gradually walking away, Pei Yunlu walked out from the path.
Her eyes were deep as she walked in the opposite direction of An Xingzhi.
After walking a few hundred steps, she saw Gu Xiao again, who was shaking a twig and smiling brightly.
Gu Xiao, who was in an unusually good mood, called out to her. "Where are you going, Miss Pei?"
Pei Yunlu replied meaningfully, "Digging a grave."
"Digging a grave?"
Gu Xiao straightened his face and put away his smile. "Please accept my condolences, Miss Pei! You have a good family background and appearance. You will surely meet a good man in the future."
He thought that Lu Jin had died.
When mentioning Pei Yunlu's appearance, Gu Xiao paused slightly.
After all, with Pei Yunlu's current looks, she was just plain - looking, and it was hard for him to praise her.
Pei Yunlu was both angry and amused. "What good man? I just received a letter from home saying that one of my cousins hanged himself miserably because he couldn't tell good from bad."
She advised earnestly, "Young Master Gu usually has poor judgment. Don't be as stupid as my cousin and live a foolish life."
Gu Xiao: "..."
"Thank you for the reminder, Miss Pei. This young master has good judgment!"
Pei Yunlu, "Heh."