Chapter 109: Reflection
Gu Yan dismounted at the villa entrance. The steward on duty hurried over, hands clasped, and reported:
Second Madam Pan and Eldest Miss Shi arrived yesterday and are staying in the courtyard they occupied last year.
Gu Yan’s steps faltered slightly. After hearing the steward’s report, he grunted and strode inside.
He had received a letter from his mother three days ago, and she arrived yesterday!
A faint, cold smile touched Gu Yan’s lips.
She always liked to reveal her extraordinary nature, her uniqueness, her control over everything, her ability to control everything, in such subtle ways.
In the past, he had actually admired her!
Gu Yan abruptly stopped.
In the past, when he admired her, he regarded her as someone who was one with him as a couple, as one of his own, even as himself!
Then, those who were not one with her in the past, who did not regard her as one of them…
After she married into Prince Rui’s Mansion, Eldest Sister grew to dislike her more each day, Second Sister had disliked her since childhood, and Third Sister had always detested her.
In the past, he had always thought his sisters were too arrogant and too petty.
Gu Yan tilted his head slightly, staring blankly at a tree full of blossoms not far away.
Now, her ubiquitous self-serving cleverness constantly stirred his disgust, even igniting his temper.
It must have been the same in the past; those who did not regard her as one of them, everyone except him, must have felt the same disgust and even burning anger as he did now.
He had always thought she was his helpful wife!
Gu Yan lowered his head, watching his clothes sway slightly in the wind.
In his past failures and tragic death, how much was due to his arrogance and blindness?
Gu Yan’s face turned slightly pale. After a moment of daze, he turned and walked out.
“Tell Second Madam that I have urgent official business and will be back late. If it’s too late, I’ll pay my respects tomorrow,” Gu Yan instructed as he strode out.
Shi Gun was bewildered by his Young Lord’s sudden stop and turn. He responded with a “yes” and quickly waved for someone to deliver the message.
Gu Yan mounted his horse and headed straight for Academy Street.
Li Xiaonan was standing in the courtyard, practicing calligraphy with her wrist raised.
Wang Yuting and A Wu were busy; one was rolling dough, and the other was using a bamboo strip to flip pancakes as they cooked. Mei Jie, while washing clothes, kept craning her neck to watch.
It was her first time seeing pancakes being cooked.
Shi Gun knocked on the courtyard gate, pushed it open slightly, and looked into the courtyard.
A Wu was the first to see Shi Gun and jumped up with a shout.
Shi Gun didn’t look at A Wu. Meeting Li Xiaonan’s gaze, he quickly bowed and smiled, “Miss Li, do you have a moment?”
“Mm,” Li Xiaonan replied. She rinsed her brush in the brush washer and hung it on the brush rack.
“The pancake is burning!” Mei Jie, shaking water from her hands, bowed to help A Wu flip the pancake.
“Sit properly and cook your pancake!” Wang Yuting shouted, but he himself watched Shi Gun with both eyes, his neck stretching further and further until his backside left the stool.
“What is Master Shi looking for her for?” A Wu also stretched his neck to look outside.
“It must be the Young Lord looking for her,” Wang Yuting sat back down, turned to Mei Jie, and asked, “Mei Jie, does this Master Shi often come to see A Nan?”
“He doesn’t come often. This is his second time. A certain young lady comes often; she’s very beautiful and always wears silk brocade,” Mei Jie said with a smile.
“Is her name Wan Jing?” Wang Yuting asked.
“Yes, yes, that’s the name. What a lovely name.”
Wang Yuting hummed and looked at A Wu. A Wu met Wang Yuting’s gaze and said in a low voice, “The Young Lord treats her so well!”
“If he didn’t treat her well, would he have sent us here?” Wang Yuting grabbed a piece of dough and slapped it onto the cutting board, continuing to roll the dough.
“Where is Wan Jing?” Li Xiaonan asked after leaving the courtyard.
“The Young Lord came suddenly and didn’t have time to call her,” Shi Gun said in a low voice. “Young Lord, that, you know, that thing, you understand?”
“What thing?” Li Xiaonan asked, confused.
“The Young Lord came suddenly!” Shi Gun emphasized the word “suddenly.”
“Doesn’t your Young Lord always act on impulse? Why is it sudden again?” Li Xiaonan frowned.
If he always acts on impulse, what’s so sudden about it?
“You really are!” Shi Gun swallowed. “This suddenness is, our Young Lord, he, that, that,” Shi Gun patted his chest, “it’s not good, understand?”
“Oh, he’s in a bad mood?” Li Xiaonan understood.
Shi Gun sighed. “I didn’t say anything. We have rules to follow when on duty.”
“Thank you. Wan Jing said you’re particularly kind,” Li Xiaonan said gratefully, though she felt Shi Gun’s reminder was quite unnecessary.
“She talks too much. We’re at the alley entrance, so I can’t talk anymore.”
Li Xiaonan glanced at Shi Gun. In terms of talking too much, he didn’t seem to talk any less than Wan Jing.
Gu Yan stood by the window of the tea house, idly fanning himself with his folding fan. As Li Xiaonan approached, he glanced at her sideways and pointed outside with his fan, “This peony is getting uglier and uglier.”
“I think it’s quite beautiful. Who upset you?” Li Xiaonan took a step forward and tilted her head to examine Gu Yan’s expression closely.
“Why do you ask that?” Gu Yan’s eyes slanted down towards Li Xiaonan.
“You’re even complaining about the peony growing there, and your expression isn’t good either. Has someone dared to provoke you?”
“There are as many people who dare to provoke me as there are hairs on a cow,” Gu Yan fanned himself.
“That sentence of yours is a complaint. Did you bring the tea leaves?” Li Xiaonan turned to look at the table beside them.
Tea had already been poured into two cups on the table.
“This year’s Dragon and Phoenix Tuan Cha,” Gu Yan closed his fan, walked over, and sat down. He picked up a cup, then put it down, gesturing to Li Xiaonan, “The milk candy was sent from the north. It just arrived. Try some.”
Li Xiaonan immediately reached out, pulled over the plate piled with milk candy, picked one up, and examined it carefully.
This milk candy was the size of a fingernail and shaped like a lotus flower. The first rule for things from their Prince’s Estate was that they had to be good-looking.
Li Xiaonan put the candy into her mouth.
It wasn’t too sweet, had a rich milky flavor, and contained crushed peanuts. She hadn’t eaten milk candy in a very, very long time. It was truly delicious.
Li Xiaonan took another piece and put it in her mouth.
Gu Yan fanned himself, watching Li Xiaonan eat candy piece after piece, his mood gradually improving.
“How is your business going?” Gu Yan asked, watching Li Xiaonan eat five or six pieces. He extended his folding fan and pushed the plate away from Li Xiaonan’s hand.
“It’s going quite smoothly. A Wu and her cousin have been a great help,” Li Xiaonan picked up her cup and took a sip of tea.
Mm, the tea was also very good.
“How is it going smoothly? Tell me in detail.”
“We found twelve grocery stores in Guo Lane and Wushan Town. We asked them to help me collect fine cloth. They collect it into a bolt of fine cloth, and I give them twenty copper coins,” Li Xiaonan said with a smile.
“You won’t make much money from this business, will you?” Gu Yan calculated slightly and frowned.
“It’s not entirely for making money, nor is it entirely not for making money. It’s for making big money in the future. In short, you need to have a long-term vision, and you wouldn’t understand,” Li Xiaonan said with a smile.
Gu Yan was speechless at Li Xiaonan’s “you wouldn’t understand.”
Whether he understood or not, he couldn’t recall a second time, besides this one, when someone dared to tell him to his face that he didn’t understand.
One chapter for debt repayment, how many chapters are still owed?
