Chapter 4

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The stout bailiff clearly had no fondness for sickly people, stepping back two paces in disgust as if afraid of catching a cold himself.

“Move along…” He waved them off, but before he could finish, a commotion erupted from behind them, accompanied by the sound of disordered horse hooves.

“How dare you! Do a few mere bailiffs think they can stop our young master?!” A sharp male voice impatiently scolded. The bailiffs present, along with the surrounding townsfolk, couldn’t help but look in the direction of the voice.

Not far away, a group of bailiffs had stopped several men who were about to leave the city. Leading them was a young man of about sixteen or seventeen years, handsome and dressed in blue, exuding an air of nobility. Behind the young man in blue followed four or five attendants. The high-headed horses they rode neighed loudly, stamping their hooves, and snorting thickly from their nostrils.

The square-faced youth who had spoken earlier continued to berate the bailiffs, “Do you even know who our young master is? We are from the Duke of Ying’s household…”

“Jiang He!” The young man in blue lightly reprimanded, his thin lips pressed tight in displeasure.

Jiang He immediately fell silent, realizing it was not wise to draw attention to their outing. The commotion they caused drew many eyes, including those from within the carriage. Juan Bi was one of them.

Juan Bi looked at the young man in blue, first stunned, then her expression turned tense. In a low voice, she said to Gu Yan Fei, “Miss, that is the heir apparent of the Duke of Ying’s household.” The Gu and Fang families were long-time allies, and the young heir often visited the Marquis’ estate. Juan Bi had seen him from a distance several times when she was in the capital.

Gu Yan Fei, too, had noticed him, her gaze deep and calm, while her right hand, hidden within her sleeve, unconsciously clenched. The face that had blurred over the course of two centuries suddenly became clear once again.

Heir apparent of the Duke of Ying, Fang Ming Feng.

Gu Yan Fei had long anticipated their reunion, expecting to see him in the capital as she had in her past life, not here, in this place. So, to take her life, he had personally come all the way to Dan Yang City! In her past life, after discovering she had not died in Dan Yang City, Fang Ming Feng had not given up. He was like a venomous snake lurking in the dark, waiting for the right moment to strike.

In an instant, the inner demons that plagued Gu Yan Fei’s heart spread like wildfire, and a chilling coldness flashed in her eyes. Her right hand clenched tightly in her sleeve, her nails digging into her tender palm, as memories she had tried to bury surged back into her mind like a relentless flood.

“Miss Gu, do you know this young heir?” Chu Gongzi, still twirling the white porcelain teacup in his hand, smiled warmly.

“Shizi?!” Outside the carriage, Xiao Shi raised his voice in exaggerated surprise.

His shout caught the attention of the nearby squad leader and the fat constable, who immediately changed their expressions and looked fearfully at Fang Ming Feng. It turned out that this noble young man was not only from the Duke of Ying’s family but was also a Shizi!

The constables silently stepped back, retreating further and further away.

Fang Ming Feng and his group also noticed the commotion near the carriage and looked over simultaneously. When they saw Gu Yan Fei inside the carriage, their expressions changed drastically. A storm of emotions swirled in their eyes—shock, disbelief, suspicion, disdain, and more. Their eyes, as if seeing a ghost, practically spelled out: Second Miss Gu is actually still alive!

Soon after, they noticed a stranger, a young man in white, inside the carriage. He was handsome and spirited, and the young lady was incomparably graceful. Just by their looks, they were both exceptional. At this moment, they sat across a chessboard, facing each other as if they were old friends, the atmosphere harmonious.

The attendants all frowned, thinking that this Second Miss Gu, who grew up in the countryside, was truly shameless. An unmarried girl sharing a carriage with a man?! This Second Miss Gu was not worthy of their Shizi at all!

Fang Ming Feng’s face turned cold as he looked down from his horse at Gu Yan Fei in the carriage, his gaze darkening. After the initial shock, anger surged within him, a flame burning fiercely in his chest. He urged his horse forward, his posture as straight as bamboo, a polite smile on his handsome face, exuding nobility, pride, and aloofness.

“Greetings.”

Fang Ming Feng held the reins and elegantly cupped his hands in a gesture of respect toward Gu Yan Fei. “Might this young lady know me, Fang…?”

He was the Shizi of the Duke of Ying’s household, raised in luxury, and naturally carried the lofty air of a favored child of heaven.

“Fang Ming Feng!” A calm and indifferent female voice interrupted him, as Gu Yan Fei had already regained her composure. Fang Ming Feng looked at her in astonishment, his eyes growing even darker.

No one had ever dared to interrupt him like this before.

Gu Yan Fei didn’t care at all about Fang Ming Feng’s reaction. Her eyes were clear as she continued, “A person like you, I wouldn’t give a second glance. Our engagement ends here.”

The last sentence was shocking, yet Gu Yan Fei said it with such calmness, as if she were merely stating something insignificant. The young girl, in the prime of her youth, was stunning beyond compare, like a bright moon among the clouds, with an air of elegance.

The surroundings fell into a deathly silence.

A glimmer flickered in Chu Gongzi’s eyes as his ring finger lightly rubbed the side of the cup.

The nearby head constable was so shocked that his jaw almost dropped, his gaze darting between Gu Yan Fei, Chu Gongzi, and Fang Ming Feng. The yamen officers, being sharp, exchanged interested glances.

Fang Ming Feng was speechless, his thin lips pressed into a tight line. His face went from green to purple, purple to red, and red to black, the colors shifting in a remarkable display. Of course, he looked down on this crude, ill-mannered, and temperamental wild girl before him. Compared to his Rong’er, she was as different as heaven and earth. But what right did she have to look down on him? What gave her the qualification to speak to him in such a manner?

Fang Ming Feng had been a favored child of heaven since he was young, and he had never experienced such humiliation in his life! His face darkened, and he felt a burning sensation on his cheeks.

“Chu Gongzi, let’s enter the city.”

Gu Yan Fei no longer looked at Fang Ming Feng. The gaze she directed at Chu Gongzi carried a hint of knowing insight, as if she could see right through him.

“Of course.”

Chu Gongzi’s voice was as gentle as water, and his lips maintained a soft smile as he instructed the driver, “Sihai, let’s go.” The driver, Sihai, responded and cracked the whip, and the yamen officers quickly made way.

The surrounding yamen officers and passersby looked at Fang Ming Feng with strange expressions, their eyes filled with sympathy and pity. So what if he was a noble heir? He was still publicly rejected!

Xiao Shi quickly shut the carriage door, blocking out the curious gazes from outside.

The carriage moved toward the city, leaving Fang Ming Feng and his group frozen in place.

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