freenovelworld Chapter 748 With the Crown Prince backing him up, his courage had clearly grown considerably.
Chapter 748 With the Crown Prince backing him up, his courage had clearly grown considerably.
The carriage slowly came to a stop in front of the tall, vermilion gate of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion. It was almost dusk, and the lanterns hanging in front of the gate were lit one by one by the servants.
Just as Gu Qingchen was about to get out of the car, he caught a glimpse of a familiar figure standing in the shadow of the stone lions in front of the gate.
The man was dressed in dark, close-fitting clothes, his figure as upright as a pine tree. He stood motionless in the rising cold wind, as if he had been waiting for a long time.
"Brother?" Gu Qingchen paused, his voice tinged with uncertainty.
Qian Zhenyun followed her gaze, then lifted the car curtain and got out of the car with her.
The figure emerged from the shadows; it was Gu Xuan.
His face showed more signs of hardship than when they last met, but his eyes remained sharp and calm. He carried a package wrapped in oil paper and handed it directly to Gu Qingchen.
"The end of the year is approaching, take this to your mother." His voice was low, with a hint of barely perceptible hoarseness.
Gu Qingchen looked at the package but did not reach out to take it.
She gazed at her brother's face, so close yet so far away, and her nose tingled with emotion. "Brother, are you still not going in?"
Gu Xuan's gaze passed over her and fell upon the open gate of the mansion. Inside, the lights were bright, and it was a place he used to know very well.
He shook his head, his eyes firm and unwavering: "One day, I will walk home with my head held high. But now is not the time."
These words were like a thorn, instantly piercing Gu Qingchen's heart. The clarity and determination he had just established by the lake were now thrown into chaos by this familiar family conflict.
She was furious and stubbornly turned her head away.
"I don't care! This is something you gave to your mother, take it in yourself!"
After saying that, she didn't look at Gu Xuan again, lifted her skirt, stepped straight up the stairs, and strode into the mansion gate.
The atmosphere was a little awkward for a while.
Qian Zhenyun watched her angry back and sighed helplessly before turning to Gu Xuan.
He reached out and took the package from Gu Xuan's hand.
"Brother, don't worry, I'll give it to Auntie."
Gu Xuan's tense shoulders relaxed a little. He nodded and his gaze fell on Qian Zhenyun.
“Zhenyun, Qingchen has a fiery temper, so you’ll have to take good care of him in the future.” He paused, then lowered his voice, “Also, be careful of Lin Jiayou.”
Qian Zhenyun's heart skipped a beat, and he solemnly replied, "I've got it."
Gu Xuan said no more, only took a deep look in the direction of the mansion gate, then turned and disappeared into the twilight, quickly vanishing at the end of the street corner.
Qian Zhenyun carried the package in his hand and walked into the Duke's mansion.
Just as he rounded the screen wall, he saw Gu Qingchen standing at the corner of the covered walkway, seemingly waiting for him.
Beside her stood a woman dressed in plain brocade, with a dignified and graceful demeanor; she was none other than the Duchess of Zhenguo, Chu Ruohan.
Chu Ruohan's gaze fell directly on the oil paper package in Qian Zhenyun's hand.
She didn't say anything, but silently walked forward and took the package from Qian Zhenyun's hands.
Gu Qingchen and Qian Zhenyun exchanged a glance, both seeing helplessness in each other's eyes.
Watching his mother turn to leave with the package in her arms, Gu Qingchen finally couldn't help but mutter to her retreating figure, "Mom, how long are you going to keep arguing with my brother!"
Chu Ruohan paused for a moment, but ultimately did not turn around.
She simply carried the package and walked step by step into the deep courtyard.
The figure, silhouetted against the swaying lantern light, appeared somewhat desolate, yet also possessed an inexplicable stubbornness.
"See, that's it!" Gu Qingchen stared at the corner of the corridor where his mother had disappeared, his chest heaving, and his suppressed anger resurfaced.
She turned to face Qian Zhenyun, her voice filled with helplessness and frustration.
"They're both incredibly stubborn! Neither of them is willing to back down first! They clearly care about each other, but they insist on putting on this show of never speaking to each other again!"
Qian Zhenyun looked at her reddened eyes and calmly stated the facts: "Auntie accepted the gift."
A single sentence is more effective than any comforting word.
Yes, Mother accepted the gift. If she were truly heartless, why would she have accepted it?
Gu Qingchen took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing her agitation. She knew that deep-seated problems couldn't be solved overnight, and family matters couldn't be rushed.
She rubbed her temples and said to Qian Zhenyun, "Let's go inside and talk, it's cold outside."
The two walked one after the other through the covered corridor and entered the small flower hall where Gu Qingchen usually read and handled affairs...
next day
The fireplace in the flower hall was burning brightly, dispelling the chill that filled the room.
Holding a cup of hot tea, Gu Qingchen was still feeling down, thinking about the silent stubbornness of her brother and mother from the previous night.
Qian Zhenyun was sitting opposite her, about to say something, when a servant rushed in to report.
"Miss, Young Master Qian, His Highness the Crown Prince and His Highness the Twelfth Prince have arrived and are already in the front hall."
Gu Qingchen paused, holding his teacup, and exchanged a glance with Qian Zhenyun, both seeing a hint of surprise in each other's eyes.
They arrived so quickly.
The two got up and went to the front hall together.
Crown Prince Zhao Chen'an, dressed in a dark blue casual robe, was standing in the hall holding the hand of the Twelfth Prince Zhao Heng.
Zhao Heng changed into a brand-new royal blue brocade jacket, with a circle of snow-white rabbit fur trimmed around the collar and cuffs, making his round face look even more delicate and exquisite.
Upon seeing Gu Qingchen, Zhao Chen'an smiled gently, released Zhao Heng's hand, and stepped forward.
"Qingchen, I know everything that happened yesterday. It's all thanks to you and Zhenyun, otherwise, if Heng'er had gotten lost outside, the consequences would have been unimaginable."
"You flatter me, it was nothing more than a small favor." Gu Qingchen curtsied, his attitude neither humble nor arrogant.
The little one who was scared and hid behind her yesterday is now much bolder with the Crown Prince backing him up.
He peeked out from behind Zhao Chen'an, his big, dark eyes glaring at Gu Qingchen. He pouted and shouted in a soft, accusatory tone, "You! You bad person! Give me back my bunny!"
A hint of embarrassment flashed across Zhao Chen'an's face. He turned around, pulled Zhao Heng back, and gently scolded, "Heng'er, don't be rude. How did I teach you? You should call her Sister Gu."
"I don't want to!" Zhao Heng insisted, pointing his chubby finger at Gu Qingchen. "She's a bad person! Brother, she stole my bunny yesterday!"
Gu Qingchen felt a vein throb on her forehead. She took a deep breath and tried to make her voice sound as gentle as possible.
"Your Highness, I didn't eat your rabbit. Wasn't the rabbit leg left intact in your hands later?"
"But you robbed me! And you even tried to scare me!" Zhao Heng retorted, offering a series of reasons. "You scared me, so you have to compensate me!"
These childish words made Qian Zhenyun, who was standing to the side, unable to help but smile slightly before quickly regaining his composure.
Zhao Chen'an rubbed his temples, feeling a bit of a headache and a sense of helplessness towards his youngest brother.