The conversation in the main hall didn’t last long.
Shen Mu gave a few more simple instructions, then had someone escort Lin Jianqing back to rest. After leaving the main hall, Lin Jianqing remained silent the entire way, quietly walking alongside Shen Huaixue.
The long corridor at night was very quiet, warm yellow light falling on the stone slabs, with only the faint sound of wind filling the surroundings.
It wasn’t until they returned to the room and the wooden door closed behind him that Lin Jianqing finally let out a breath of relief.
He leaned against the door for a moment, then slowly walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed.
The room was large and tidy, but the more he looked at it, the more uncomfortable he felt.
Why did he come to the capital city with Shen Huaixue in the first place?
If he had just held his ground a little longer back then, maybe he could have gone back to the dormitory. Even if Shen Huaixue held a grudge against him, it would still be better than staying in this completely unfamiliar place.
Lin Jianqing raised his hand and rubbed his forehead. He was already starting to regret this.
On the plane, he just thought it was troublesome. But after entering the Shen Family, he realized this wasn’t just an ordinary meeting with the parents.
Shen Mu’s overly gentle attitude, and the way Shen Huaixue had suddenly gone quiet after getting off the plane, both made him uneasy. ‘Still awake?’
Shen Huaixue’s voice suddenly appeared in his mind. Naturally, she knew exactly what Lin Jianqing was thinking.
Lin Jianqing looked up, turning his gaze toward the direction of the next room.
‘Asleep.’
‘You’re still thinking about things right now.’
‘That was sleep talking.’ Lin Jianqing didn’t even know what he was saying anymore. He felt completely out of his mind at this point.
Shen Huaixue didn’t continue calling him out. She just stayed quiet for a moment.
‘Rest early. Someone’s coming tomorrow.’
Lin Jianqing frowned. He’d heard that these noble families had a lot of affairs, but he never expected it to be this troublesome.
‘Who now?’
Shen Huaixue didn’t answer, and Lin Jianqing couldn’t be bothered to ask.
The next morning, just as Lin Jianqing finished changing his clothes, hurried footsteps came from outside the courtyard gate.
Before the servants could even announce her, a young woman in a light-colored long dress had already crossed the long corridor and skillfully pushed open the courtyard gate.
She stopped in the middle of the courtyard, her gaze sweeping past the people around her and landing directly on Lin Jianqing, who had just come out of his room.
The woman looked at him quietly for a few seconds, then revealed a gentle smile.
“So you’re the man Huaixue brought back?”
Lin Jianqing stood at the door without answering immediately. He just felt that another weirdo had shown up, and she was staring at him like she was inspecting a third party.
What was going on now?
The courtyard still carried a thin layer of morning moisture. The bluestone by the pond glistened faintly, and a few wind-blown leaves stuck to the damp ground.
The woman stood at the boundary between the long corridor and the courtyard, her light-colored skirt hem falling to her ankles, the soft fabric gently stirred by the morning breeze.
She looked completely different from Shen Huaixue.
Her chestnut-colored hair was loosely draped over her shoulders, her features soft and gentle, and she wore a polite smile on her face at all times.
She was tall and slender with fair skin, and a small silver earring dangled from her ear.
Just by appearance alone, it was easy to assume she had a mild personality, perhaps even more approachable than the cold-faced members of the Shen Family.
The servants following behind her only caught up at that moment.
“Miss Gu, the Fourth Miss hasn’t…”
The woman raised her hand, signaling the servant not to continue.
Her movement was practiced and smooth, clearly not her first time entering Shen Huaixue’s courtyard.
Lin Jianqing’s gaze lingered on her for a moment, then shifted to the already-pushed-open courtyard gate.
Yesterday, Shen Huaixue had reminded him that this courtyard wasn’t usually open to outsiders, yet not only was this woman not stopped, the servants around her also seemed very familiar with her.
The woman walked closer at a slow pace, stopping about two or three steps away from Lin Jianqing.
“My name is Gu Miying.”
She volunteered her name, her voice clear and gentle.
The Gu Family had been associated with the Shen Family for many years, running medical and mental ability-related businesses in the capital city.
Gu Miying was one of the most valued heirs of the Gu Family’s generation, and one of the few people who had been able to freely enter the Shen Family’s main residence since childhood.
She was close in age to Shen Huaixue, and the two had known each other for a very long time.
More precisely, Gu Miying had harbored a one-sided admiration for Shen Huaixue for many years.
This wasn’t exactly a secret within both families.
Gu Miying liked women, and she had never tried to hide her feelings for Shen Huaixue. She had always believed that even if Shen Huaixue wouldn’t accept her, she could never possibly fall for a man.
Perhaps just as stand-ins attract each other… no, wrong reference.
Just as weirdos attract each other, Lin Jianqing wasn’t surprised that Shen Huaixue had this kind of weirdo around her.
***
Until last night, she heard that Shen Huaixue had personally brought back a so-called boyfriend from Linzhou.
Gu Miying looked Lin Jianqing over once more.
Her gaze held no hostility, only a hint of obvious curiosity. When her eyes passed over his face, she paused slightly, as if she had finally understood something.
“I see.”
She said softly, and Lin Jianqing frowned slightly.
Before he could ask, the door behind him was pushed open.
Shen Huaixue, wearing a loose black dress, walked slowly out of the room. Her hair wasn’t fully tidied yet, with a few strands falling over her shoulders, and her expression still carried the coldness of someone just waking up.
When she saw Gu Miying in the courtyard, her steps paused.
Her originally calm gaze quickly cooled by several degrees.
“Who let you in?”
Gu Miying didn’t look surprised.
She turned around, smiling at Shen Huaixue, her tone still natural.
“I heard you finally brought someone home, so of course I had to come see for myself.”
After saying that, she looked at Lin Jianqing again.
“After all, I’m curious what kind of man could make you change so much.”
Shen Huaixue walked down the steps and finally stopped beside Lin Jianqing.
She didn’t answer Gu Miying. Instead, she reached out and took Lin Jianqing’s wrist, pulling him slightly closer to her side.
The movement was casual, yet carried obvious intent to block.
Gu Miying looked down at the distance between them, her smile not fading.
Only the mild curiosity in her eyes slowly gained a bit more seriousness.
Gu Miying’s gaze lingered on the two of them for a moment.
The morning breeze blew in from outside the courtyard gate, lifting the long hair at her ears. The silver earring swayed gently among the strands, reflecting tiny fragments of light.
She didn’t approach further, just slowly smoothed her sleeve.
“So the rumors aren’t entirely false after all.”
Shen Huaixue’s grip on Lin Jianqing’s wrist tightened slightly.
“Leave now that you’ve seen enough.”
Her voice carried no extra emotion, and there was no obvious expression on her face. But Lin Jianqing, standing nearby, could still sense that she didn’t welcome Gu Miying.
Gu Miying showed no sign of leaving.
She turned and walked over to the pond, reaching out to touch a low-hanging branch. The dew remaining on the leaves landed on her fingertips, then slowly slid down her fair skin.
“I only heard you were back last night.” She said softly. “I rushed over first thing this morning. At least let me have a cup of tea before I go.”
Shen Huaixue didn’t answer.
Lin Jianqing stood between the two women, his gaze shifting back and forth between their faces.
He felt like he had entered some kind of strange love rivalry, but he didn’t have any evidence yet.
Just as that thought appeared, Shen Huaixue turned her head and glanced at him.
Lin Jianqing immediately looked away, pretending to whistle, then pretending to think about something else.
Gu Miying noticed their exchange, and a hint of confusion appeared in her eyes.
She walked slowly over to Lin Jianqing and extended her hand toward him.
“I don’t know your name yet.”
Lin Jianqing looked at her hand and was about to respond, but Shen Huaixue pulled him back half a step first.
Gu Miying’s hand stopped in midair, and the atmosphere in the courtyard fell silent.
Shen Huaixue looked at her.
“Lin Jianqing.”
She said his name on his behalf, then let go of his wrist and instead took hold of his fingers.
Gu Miying looked down at their intertwined hands, her smile fading slightly.
“You even say his name for him?”
“He’s shy.”
Lin Jianqing turned his head to look at Shen Huaixue. Since when did he not want to talk?
Actually, Lin Jianqing was more curious about what kind of weirdo this woman in front of him was…
If she could be friends with Shen Huaixue in the past, she was guaranteed to be at least a dragon-level weirdo.
Shen Huaixue didn’t look at him, just led him toward the dining area inside the courtyard.
As she passed by Gu Miying, she paused for a moment.
“If you want tea, keep up.”
Gu Miying stood in place, watching their backs.
After a few seconds, she slowly withdrew her hand, then lifted her skirt hem and followed along the damp stone path.
Her smile had already returned to normal.