Wanzhu followed closely behind Gu Qinghan, her agile figure shielding her from the jostling crowd to prevent anyone from bumping into her.
Xiao Yinghuai had been watching from behind for a long time but couldn’t find an opportunity to approach Gu Qinghan, as if he had come out alone.
He had originally planned to enjoy a romantic evening with Gu Qinghan, whisper sweet words to her, and then gain some benefits from her.
Although he had been thriving in the capital thanks to Gu Qinghan, he was still not the legitimate son-in-law of the Gu family.
The noble young masters in the capital treated him politely and courteously on the surface, but in reality, they looked down on his background, their smiles hiding endless mockery.
Everything had been going smoothly, but since his return, many things had changed. He couldn’t help but feel flustered, sensing that many matters were spiraling out of control.
Especially today—it had been utterly disastrous.
He rubbed his aching shoulder.
Filled with irritation and resentment, Xiao Yinghuai paid no attention to the beautiful scenery along the street, nor did he carefully check whether he had lost anything.
Suddenly, he heard Gu Qinghan calling out to him loudly from ahead. Xiao Yinghuai immediately put on a gentle facade.
He jogged over and found Gu Qinghan stopped at a jewelry stall. The jewelry at this stall wasn’t particularly luxurious, but it was exquisite and had a unique charm under the lantern light.
Gu Qinghan casually picked out a few pieces of jewelry with novel designs, then looked up at Xiao Yinghuai, signaling him to pay.
Xiao Yinghuai thought to himself: Finally, there’s something for me to do. Women are always fickle—buying them a few trinkets can easily make them happy.
Gu Qinghan had been like this since childhood. Even when he upset her, he could always cheer her up by finding an ordinary little trinket.
With a self-assured air, he reached into his robe for his purse, a smile still on his face.
Huh? Where was the purse?
He had checked it just before leaving, and his father had even reminded him to bring extra silver ingots to keep Gu Qinghan happy.
Xiao Yinghuai’s smile was beginning to falter, and sweat dripped from his forehead.
The vendor grew impatient. “Young master, have you found it? You’re practically turning your inner robe inside out,” he said, curling his lip. He had seen many men pretend they couldn’t find their purse when it was time to pay.
“What about the silver? Hurry up! Such a beautiful lady likes these, and they’re not even expensive!”
The vendor’s urgent shouts drew the attention of others browsing the jewelry, and soon a crowd gathered to watch the spectacle.
A young man nearby laughed loudly and mocked, “This young master looks well-dressed, yet he can’t even produce a few copper coins?”
Others around chimed in agreement.
Xiao Yinghuai grew even more anxious, inwardly blaming Gu Qinghan for insisting on buying these things.
The more flustered he became, the louder the jeers from the crowd grew.
One man even began to taunt Gu Qinghan, “Little lady, why not ditch this man and come with me? You’re so pretty—I’ll buy you as many as you want, hahaha…”
Upon hearing this, Gu Qinghan’s eyes reddened, looking both sad and wronged.
She made an effort to appear pitiful, though her eyes had only reddened from the wind earlier.
Making Xiao Yinghuai look bad by feigning helplessness was more entertaining than anything else.
This was exactly the effect she wanted—the more Xiao Yinghuai’s reputation as a freeloader spread, the better. She wanted to see how he would dare claim he was destined to be the Gu family’s son-in-law.
Just then, a deep, resonant voice rang out.
“I’ll pay.”
Gu Qinghan saw a hand extend beside her, its knuckles distinct like a piece of cold jade. He placed a gold ingot on the small stall.
The “thud” sound left the vendor stunned for a moment before he immediately became overjoyed.
This was a gold ingot, enough to cover his family’s expenses for five years.
“Thank you, young master, thank you, young master! Feel free to take anything you like!”
The vendor smiled brightly, enthusiastically introducing his ornaments.
Gu Qinghan looked up and found the owner of the hand to be extraordinary in bearing. A dark-patterned silk brocade robe in cyan made him appear even more noble, with a faint chill emanating from his presence.
Looking further up, she noticed he wore a jet-black mask. Yet, she could still see his eyebrows as if painted with ink, eyes as bright as stars, and a tall, straight nose.
Gu Qinghan was slightly taken aback, her lips parting in surprise.
It was Ye Muyan!