“Achoo!”
The night wind was chilly. As Luo Li walked, a gust swept by, and she suddenly sneezed.
Considering her current physical condition, she silently tightened her cloak, pulling the hood over her head so only her fair, delicate face was visible, her nose slightly reddened from the cold.
“Let’s head back,” Gu Xuanjing suggested upon seeing this.
Their stroll had already been dampened by the earlier interruption, and now, seeing her discomfort, he had even less desire to continue.
“Alright.”
After all, they had already enjoyed most of what there was to see.
They had arrived early, when the streets were less crowded, but now it was practically packed shoulder to shoulder. A moment’s inattention could easily lead to getting separated.
Watching the petite figure carefully navigating through the crowd, Gu Xuanjing clenched his hand, hesitating.
But the next moment, a soft, small hand slipped into his.
“It’s too crowded. Please lead me,” Luo Li said, looking up at him with a worried expression in her eyes.
The sheer number of people made her feel somewhat uneasy.
“Mm.” His fingers trembled slightly as he clasped hers in return. Feeling the warmth and softness in his palm, his ears flushed red, and even his cheeks took on a faint blush.
With him guiding her, the walk became noticeably easier.
Shielding the young girl behind him, they finally managed to make their way out of the crowd before long.
But before he could say anything, Luo Li withdrew her hand first, fanning her face lightly as if trying to cool the redness on her cheeks. She avoided meeting his gaze, seemingly having finally realized the impropriety of the situation and feeling a bit embarrassed.
Seeing her suddenly let go, Gu Xuanjing paused briefly, but when he turned and saw her flustered state, he pressed his lips together.
An inexplicable sense of joy stirred in his heart, and the corners of his mouth lifted secretly.
…They had originally intended to reunite with Uncle Gu and the others, but upon arriving at the teahouse, they found everyone had already left, leaving only a message for them.
The elders had returned to the estate first, leaving a carriage for the two of them to make their own way back later. It was clear the elders had put some thought into creating an opportunity for the young pair.
On the way back, the two sat facing each other in the carriage in silence, yet an inexplicably ambiguous atmosphere simmered between them.
“Ahem.”
Unable to bear the tension any longer, Luo Li coughed lightly, feeling uncomfortable.
Hearing the sound, Gu Xuanjing’s first concern was her health. Without a word, he shifted slightly to block the draft from the carriage window.
Noticing his small gesture, Luo Li raised an eyebrow slightly.
“Thump.”
Suddenly, the carriage jolted violently as if it had run over something.
Luo Li lost her balance and lurched forward.
Gu Xuanjing quickly caught her, holding her securely in his arms.
But before they could recover, another jolt followed.
Luo Li looked up just as Gu Xuanjing happened to glance down at her. As the carriage swayed, his thin lips brushed against a soft warmth, and the young maiden’s eyes widened slightly in surprise.
Both were stunned, frozen in place.
“Young Master, Young Miss, are you both alright? The carriage wheel hit a stone just now. It was too dark for this humble one to see clearly. I apologize.”
The front and rear wheels had rolled over the stone one after the other, causing the two jolts.
Hearing the coachman’s apology from outside the carriage, Luo Li snapped back to reality, hurriedly pulling away and retreating to a corner, her small hands unconsciously fidgeting.Gu Xuanjing felt that before he could even react, his arms suddenly felt empty. Looking down, he saw the young girl had already shrunk to the side.
Her small face flushed crimson, quite different from the bold and outspoken girl she had been earlier.
Hmm, it seemed she was all talk but shrank back when things got real.
Such a contrast was truly captivating and adorable.
In a place she couldn’t see, Gu Xuanjing’s ears were tinged with red as he gazed at her with a hint of doting he himself hadn’t noticed.
“It’s fine, just keep driving,” he cleared his throat before responding to the outside.
“I…”
Turning to look at Luo Li, he opened his mouth as if wanting to say something, but the young girl turned her head away, as if knowing what he was about to say. Her face flushed with embarrassment, she didn’t want to bring it up again.
Seeing this, Gu Xuanjing had no choice but to fall silent.
Until they returned to the mansion and settled down, neither of them said anything more, but everything that happened tonight was etched into both their hearts.
Meanwhile, the instigator, Little Cabbage, wore a knowing, satisfied smile.
“Host, the Favorability Value has reached 69%!” As soon as they returned to the room, it couldn’t wait to share the news with its Host.
Holding hands and that little “peck” had both contributed to the increase.
Hearing this, Luo Li smiled and patted its head. “Yes, Little Cabbage did well today.”
When the carriage jolted, she saw Caicai fly out.
“Hehehe…” Hearing its Host’s praise, Little Cabbage chuckled gleefully, tucking its hands together.
It could finally help its Host~
All that time spent secretly catching up on novels and studying romance Strategies hadn’t been in vain.
……….
The next day, during their shared meals, Luo Li seemed to be avoiding Gu Xuanjing.
The mischievous Little Fox was showing her timid side.
Noticing this, Gu Xuanjing felt both helpless and amused.
But when he realized the young girl was genuinely trying to avoid him—even after the New Year had passed, she still didn’t dare to be alone with him—he began to grow restless.
Every time he saw her suddenly change direction upon spotting him from afar, his heart would tremble.
Finally, he seized an opportunity, intercepting her early on a path she couldn’t avoid.
Looking at the slightly flustered young girl, Gu Xuanjing’s throat tightened.
“Why are you avoiding me?”
“I’m not.” Luo Li turned her head away unnaturally at the sound of his voice, not daring to meet his gaze. However, the ears visible to him were flushed an intense red.
Pale and crimson, delicate and tempting, her soft red lips lightly biting her lower lip, making one want to part them with a touch.
“Not?”
Hearing her slightly trembling voice and seeing her like this, Gu Xuanjing’s own voice unconsciously lowered a few degrees.
“Mhm.” Feeling his presence draw noticeably closer, Luo Li shrank her neck and responded softly.
“Nannan, Xuanjing, it’s almost time, we should get going…”
Before they could say anything more, Uncle Gu’s booming voice echoed from not far away.
“Coming!” Hearing this, Luo Li hurriedly pushed him away and ran off.
“Hah…” Watching her like this, Gu Xuanjing let out a low chuckle.
Crafty Little Fox!