Chapter 88
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Chapter 88: Title
Qingfeng propped her head, watching the two people nearby acting intimately. Madam Dou had only sent her here for a little while before switching to another man. She heard Lord Zou wanted to play matchmaker; Li Sanlang’s family did business and supposedly had some dealings with Gu Cheng. Though Gu Hengbo’s current identity had nothing to do with Prince Rong’s residence…
"Ah Heng, Lord Zou asked me to come help; you don’t need to be polite with me," the man speaking was tall and handsome, with a delicate appearance and bright lips and white teeth, like a refined young gentleman.
Gu Hengbo nodded. "I’m not being polite with you; I know she sent you over to help for free. Your family is so rich, you probably wouldn’t care about my little farm’s money."
Li Sanlang smiled. "Lord Zou’s intention is clear to you, and there’s no need for us to clarify. A straightforward person like you, Boss Gu, cannot be compared to those wealthy young ladies. If I could have a wife like you, I wouldn’t mind being poor for life."
Gu Hengbo raised an eyebrow, impressed by his directness. "Right now, the person in front of you is me. If you were with someone else, just based on what you said, you’d end up in jail."
Li Sanlang shook his head and smiled. "I know the person in front of me is you; if it were anyone else, I probably wouldn’t even spare a glance."
Gu Hengbo smirked. "Great! Do I need to thank you?"
"Alright, I understand," Gu Hengbo said, feeling a bit chilly from the wind as she rubbed her hands together. "For this matter, we need to discuss it further. You can stay here for now while I think it over." Wow, buddy, you are dressed quite liberally!
Li Sanlang wore a polite smile and nodded. "To be honest, my father and I have had some disagreements over business lately, so I might need to stay longer."
Gu Hengbo looked up at the sky, took a deep breath, and nodded seriously. "Okay, stay as long as you need."
And then…
"Miss, why are you so late? Everyone is starving and waiting for you," Qingfeng’s face was scrunched up like a dumpling.
Before Gu Hengbo could respond, the curtain behind her was lifted, and Li Sanlang walked in with a smile. He paused when he saw Qingfeng, and then looked at Wuyang behind her, followed by Lian Rong.
When Lian Rong noticed his gaze, she nodded slightly as a polite gesture.
Li Sanlang was taken aback, not because he had seen Lian Rong before, but because her beauty was stunning; it was the most beautiful face he had seen in all his years.
The others noticed Li Sanlang’s unusual reaction to Lian Rong, and without hesitation, Wuyang accurately tossed her chopsticks, hitting him on the forehead. "How dare you! My lady is not someone you can just stare at!"
Gu Hengbo and Qingfeng simultaneously turned to each other, quietly thinking, ‘Lady? Wuyang, your lady could be your mother!’
Lian Rong cleared her throat politely while covering her mouth. "Wuyang, that’s inappropriate!"
Gu Hengbo observed Lian Rong’s calm face without any anger and mentally shook her head. She felt that Lian Rong had changed a lot since her arrival, which made her slightly uneasy, but she found her current demeanor somewhat pleasing. Nonetheless, it was a stretch to compare Lian Rong to any noble girl; sometimes it felt like she didn’t need to do anything but sit quietly, and anyone would bow to her will. As another woman, Gu Hengbo had to admit that in many ways, her cleverness didn’t even compare to a single strand of Lian Rong’s hair. She had considered Lian Rong’s purpose for coming, but found it unlikely that she would seek her out in such a manner.
Gu Hengbo snapped back to reality, recalling the way Li Sanlang looked at Lian Rong; a wave of irritation washed over her about Zou Yuan’s unreliability.
The meal was very quiet. Normally, regardless of whom she dined with, Gu Hengbo would chatter incessantly, but today she focused solely on eating. Qingfeng tried to engage her in conversation, but she only mumbled incoherently in response.
Qingfeng was eating with apprehension; the more unflustered Lian Rong appeared, the more anxious she felt.
“Ah Heng, I’m done. I’m going out for a walk. Do you want to come?” Li Sanlang had barely touched his food and set his chopsticks down after just a few bites.
Gu Hengbo halted her chopsticks and replied, “No,” then shoved a large mouthful of greens into her mouth, as if competing with someone.
As Li Sanlang turned to leave, he glanced back at Lian Rong, while Qingfeng watched with a twitch at the corner of her mouth, looking at Wuyang who was fighting for food with her lady; it was a shame that this proud woman diminished her noble image every time they ate.
Wuyang felt she had eaten enough and picked up her handkerchief, expressionless, to wipe her mouth. She finally had a chance to dine at the same table as her lady, and needed to maintain her image (Hey! You’ve already finished, you know?)
Qingfeng couldn’t stand it anymore and stood up, pulling Li Sanlang away.
Seeing someone still battling with rice, Lian Rong spooned some soup and offered it to Gu Hengbo. “Don’t choke; they’re gone, and no one is competing with you.”
Gu Hengbo raised her head slightly, with her face almost buried in her bowl. “I don’t want it. You drink it yourself.”
Lian Rong’s hand holding the bowl paused in midair, then she offered it again. “I know what you’re upset about. My injury has nearly healed.”
“Lian Rong!” Gu Hengbo slammed her chopsticks down on the table and stood up abruptly. “Don’t think so little of me! I, Gu Meisheng, am not that kind of person. Whether you stay here for a lifetime or not, I won’t complain. Which of your eyes saw me trying to chase you away? Everyone has feelings. If I didn’t care about you when you were hurt, would I even be human?”
Lian Rong stared at the suddenly furious Gu Hengbo with surprise. “You…”
“Just what? As long as you don’t bother me and I have enough to eat, I can take care of you; you certainly don’t eat more than I do,” Gu Hengbo shouted while wiping her mouth. “I’m tired and going to wash up and sleep. You clean this up,” she said, lifting the curtain and walking out.
Lian Rong looked at the messy table and thought about Gu Hengbo’s words: ‘If I didn’t care about you when you got hurt, would I even be human?’ and ‘As long as I have enough to eat, I can take care of you.’ A smile gradually appeared on her face, one that came from the heart. She had taken many lives, her hands stained with blood. Someone once told her she would eventually meet someone who would complement her, and it was because of this person that she could avoid a catastrophe. If she missed this chance, her life would be miserable, and she would undoubtedly die. This was foretold from Daguan Temple onwards; everything had already been set in motion.
You say it is lonely at the top, but she couldn’t bring herself to win favor through such grand gestures. She wasn’t that magnanimous and lacked that kind of charisma; as Ah Heng said, women can be petty.
I don’t have to do anything, just watch you all suffer, and that brings me great joy!
