After Gu Sinian left, Qi Zhenzhen sat in a daze for a while. She then took down the brocade box from the bedside cabinet, which held several stones Gu Sinian had given her. There was chicken blood stone and Tianhuang frozen stone. Originally, she thought these were gifts with hidden intentions, but now it seemed…
Qi Zhenzhen looked at them for a while, closed the box, and placed the items on the highest shelf.
As for Gu Sinian, after entering his room, an unconcealable smile appeared on his face. Although this method was not honorable, at least Qi Zhenzhen had agreed to him. There would be plenty of time in the future, and he would re-express his feelings at the right time, allowing her to accept him.
Perhaps because her mind was at ease, Qi Zhenzhen slept soundly. She woke up refreshed the next morning, as if she had never been sick.
After tidying up briefly, Qi Zhenzhen went to the kitchen. Lu Qingshui was already making pancakes. Qi Zhenzhen took the work from her hands, "I'll prepare breakfast today."
"Miss has just recovered, you should go back to your room and rest," Lu Qingshui said.
"I'm fine now. Lying down all the time will make me fall apart. Getting up and doing something will make me feel more comfortable. Moreover, the young lord has been at our house for several days and hasn't been properly entertained. I was sick before, so there was no room for complaint. Can I stay sick forever?"
Lu Qingshui found Qi Zhenzhen's words reasonable and stopped persuading her, only assisting her from the sides.
By the time everyone else got up, a sumptuous breakfast was ready.
How sumptuous was it?
There were small steamed buns made with milk, meat rolls filled with minced meat, triangular steamed buns filled with sugar, and xiaolongbao, as well as steamed dumplings. In addition, there were egg pancakes and the pancakes made by Lu Qingshui.
There were two kinds of porridge: one with shredded chicken and another sweet porridge with red dates and longans.
For the refreshing side dishes, there were shredded vegetables, bean sprouts, and finely sliced pig stomach.
"Zhenzhen, why did you make so much?" Qian Bo, who arrived first, was somewhat surprised. Their breakfasts were usually very simple. Today's was too rich, and even places specializing in breakfast wouldn't have so many varieties.
When Gu Sinian came in and saw the abundance, and then looked at Qi Zhenzhen's smiling face, he also felt very happy. Was this perhaps prepared especially for him? On the other hand, Gu Sinian felt a little displeased. He had reluctantly accepted the rumors from the capital, and she immediately changed her attitude. Did she have no feelings for him at all before?
For a moment, Gu Sinian felt a sense of gain and loss.
Never mind, he wouldn't think too much about it. Since he had chosen such an unconventional path, he would follow the plan.
After breakfast, Gu Sinian did not leave the Qi family as usual. Instead, he went to the main house and sat down.
The two had already reached a private agreement. Qi Zhenzhen now considered Gu Sinian as one of her own, and her words became much more natural. Yun Shi watched this, becoming increasingly worried. Was Zhenzhen being so amiable because she fancied Gu Sinian?
This involved Gu Sinian's privacy, and Qi Zhenzhen couldn't explain it. Moreover, according to their agreement, she was to marry into the Duke's mansion. Since that was the case, she would let her mother misunderstand for now, to avoid her mother's disapproval when she learned the truth. Marrying someone with a history of same-sex relationships was akin to living as a widow. She was certain her mother would not allow it if she knew.
"Young Lord, this humble woman has something to say to you."
"Madam Qi, please speak."
This was her future mother-in-law, so Gu Sinian naturally adopted a respectful attitude.
With his demeanor, Yun Shi became even more certain that her thoughts were correct. The young lord had taken a liking to her Zhenzhen.
Qi Zhenzhen was asked to leave, and Yun Shi could no longer hold back.
"Our family has no intention of climbing too high. Logically speaking, it is a great fortune for Zhenzhen, a country girl, to gain the favor of the young lord. However, we have no desire to associate with royalty. This humble woman only wishes to find an ordinary family for Zhenzhen to be a proper wife," Yun Shi said boldly.
"How does Madam Qi know that I do not wish to marry Zhenzhen as my principal wife?" Gu Sinian asked in a deep voice.
Yun Shi gave a wry smile. How could she not know? She had experienced it all. How could a prominent family of merit marry a country girl as their principal wife? Even a concubine's daughter from a marquis's mansion would not be qualified.
"The principal wife of the young lord should be a well-educated and virtuous young lady from a prominent family who can manage the household," Yun Shi said, word by word.
"In my eyes, Zhenzhen is no worse than those young ladies from prominent families."
"Even if the young lord agrees, his parents will not agree."
Gu Sinian knew that it was impossible to convince Yun Shi at this moment. He smiled, "I will not argue with Madam, but my feelings for Zhenzhen will not change."
Yun Shi found it troublesome but did not know what to do.
Gu Sinian had a handsome appearance, and Zhenzhen was at the age of budding love. Although Zhenzhen had repeatedly assured him that nothing would happen with Gu Sinian, Yun Shi was still worried. Especially since Gu Sinian had so confidently expressed his feelings, Yun Shi became even more conflicted.
"Young Lord, perhaps you do not know, but Zhenzhen is already betrothed."
"As long as Zhenzhen is not married, I will not give up. Of course, I also ask Madam Qi to rest assured, I will not force Zhenzhen into anything. Whatever it is, I will obtain Zhenzhen's consent."
This remark relieved Yun Shi. What she feared most was Gu Sinian using his power to force them to agree.
"How much longer will the young lord be staying at our home?" Yun Shi thought very simply. If Gu Sinian was not around Zhenzhen, and she could distract Zhenzhen more, then Zhenzhen's feelings for Gu Sinian would fade considerably.
"It's hard to say. I was sent here on a mission, and I probably won't leave until the matter is concluded. Madam Qi also knows that your home has the best accommodation in Xinghua Village. I am a very picky person and do not wish to inconvenience myself. Moreover, I will communicate with the village head about this matter, and I will be designated to stay here. Madam need not worry about any gossip. Additionally, accommodation and meals will not be a burden to Madam." Gu Sinian stated.
This situation indicated that he would not be leaving anytime soon.
Yun Shi was very annoyed. Hearing that he would also find the village head, Yun Shi had an idea.
She felt that given the relationship between the Qi family and the Song family, if she went to ask for help, the village head would surely consider their difficulties.
Yun Shi quickly found an excuse to leave home and headed straight for the Song family. She did not approach Song Lizheng directly but first told Yu Shi about Gu Sinian's intentions. Yu Shi was shocked, "Zhenzhen's mother, is what you're saying true? The young lord really has taken a liking to our Zhenzhen? What should we do? I heard from Mingyue that the young lord is very formidable in the capital. Can we contend with him?"
"He wouldn't do something like forcibly abducting a woman, would he?" Yun Shi said in a low voice.
This, it was hard to say. But Yu Shi didn't dare to say it to make Yun Shi worry, so she could only comfort her, "If he truly likes Zhenzhen, it might not be a bad thing."
"You don't know, given the young lord's status, even being a concubine would be a high climb for Zhenzhen," Yun Shi said. "Besides, you can't imagine how sordid things are in noble households. I don't want Zhenzhen to suffer such hardship."