Why did I only think of this now? Ling Xiao slapped his head hard, looking quite annoyed.
Seeing that Ling Xiao already understood, Ling Qingwan said no more.
"Wanwan, should I go to the scholar's residence specifically to explain things to her face to face?" Ling Xiao asked Ling Qingwan again.
He couldn't just go on like this and let Gu Zhi always think that he was a lazy and dissolute scoundrel.
"If you think it's necessary, just do it. Given your current situation, even if Zhier doesn't think much of it, it's not a solution for you to be worried all day long." Ling Qingwan told Ling Xiao.
Come to think of it, even if it's just for my own peace of mind, I should talk things through with Gu Zhi.
Originally, Ling Xiao wanted to go to the Bachelor's Mansion in the afternoon, but unexpectedly, Gu Zhi handed a letter to Ling Qingwan in the morning, inviting her to have tea and sit together at noon.
Ling Qingwan said something to Ling Xiao, then packed up and set out to keep the appointment.
When she arrived, Gu Zhi was already in the box.
"Wanwan, here I come."
Seeing Ling Qingwan arriving, Gu Zhi greeted her with a smile, as usual.
Ling Qingwan sat opposite Gu Zhi.
"This tea is not as good as the one you made."
She took a sip of tea, curled her lips, and looked quite dissatisfied.
"Teahouses make their business by selling tea. Making tea is just my hobby. How can I compare with them? Wanwan is making fun of me again." Gu Zhi smiled softly with her hands covering her mouth.
It must be said that Gu Zhi was gentle and dignified, just like the image of a lady from a noble family in Ling Qingwan's mind. The image of Ling Xiao climbing over the wall to enter the Grand Secretary's residence in the middle of the night appeared in her mind, and Ling Qingwan couldn't help but laugh and cry.
Gu Zhi could tell at first glance that she was well-behaved and sensible. In her eyes, a single man and a single woman climbing over the wall to meet each other in the middle of the night was quite shocking.
"I'm afraid you didn't invite me here today just to treat me to tea." Ling Qingwan had a faint smile on her face.
"I knew that nothing can be hidden from you." Gu Zhihui smiled.
Ling Xiao had just made Gu Zhi angry last night, and today Gu Zhi invited her to meet him. Ling Qingwan could not help but associate the two incidents together.
Although it was funny, Ling Qingwan was still somewhat worried that Gu Zhi was dissatisfied with Ling Xiao.
"Do you still remember the choice you asked me to make last time you came to the Bachelor's Mansion?" Gu Zhi asked.
"I remember." Ling Qingwan replied.
Of course she remembered.
She told Gu Zhi all about the current and future situations in the General's Mansion. It was up to Gu Zhi to decide whether to continue to be with Ling Xiao.
It seems that Gu Zhi has come to a conclusion in his mind.
"Let me ask you a question first." Gu Zhi looked at Ling Qingwan. "No matter what choice I make, it won't affect the relationship between you and me, right?"
"Yes." Ling Qingwan said without hesitation.
"Let's put it this way. You and my brother are talking about love, and you and I are talking about friendship. Let's not talk about the time you knew me before you knew my brother. I don't like to mix up all the grudges and hatreds. If I like you and am willing to get in touch with you, no matter what you look like, it won't affect me."
After saying that, Ling Qingwan saw Gu Zhi heaved a sigh of relief.
She already had a vague guess in her mind.
"I've made up my mind." Gu Zhi said seriously, even more serious than before. "I'm going to give it a try."
Ling Qingwan showed a surprised expression.
Just now, Gu Zhi asked her if the choice she made would affect their relationship, and Ling Qingwan thought...
"I have lived a routine life since I was a child. My mother is gentle, even a little weak, and I learned her temperament. I don't like to fight, I am easily satisfied, and I just hope to live a peaceful life in the future. Because I am a concubine's child, the ladies in the mansion don't like to see me. Over time, I learned to endure humiliation. Although my life is not as happy as An Yi's, it is also stable."
"But I am unwilling to do so. After you told me that day, I thought for a long time about what kind of life I wanted. In other words, do I like the prince? Am I willing to break my original life trajectory for him and go through the ups and downs with him?"
"Now that I've thought it through, I do."
Gu Zhi told Ling Qingwan everything that was on his mind.
Ling Qingwan couldn't describe the feeling in her heart.
There is touching and joyful feeling.
She was touched that Gu Zhi was willing to accompany Ling Xiao even though she knew that she would encounter disasters that she could never imagine on this road. She was happy that she could fight side by side with a friend she liked and admired very much.
Ling Qingwan and Gu Zhi chatted for a while, and when they went downstairs, they found that Ling Xiao was there too.
He stood outside the door, looking somewhat bewildered.
This was not the scholar's residence, nor was it the middle of the night, Ling Xiao's presence here would not cause Gu Zhi any discomfort. Moreover, Gu Zhi was a person of high moral character, and knew Ling Xiao's character clearly.
In front of Ling Qingwan, Ling Xiao explained to Gu Zhi and apologized, and Gu Zhi forgave him.
Ling Qingwan was a smart person. She immediately suggested that Ling Xiao send Gu Zhi back, while she herself would take a carriage and go back to the general's mansion first.
When she arrived at the General's Mansion, the first thing Ling Qingwan did was to tell Shen Chengzhou about the conversation she had with Gu Zhi in the teahouse today.
"You mean, the girl from the Gu family agreed to follow Xiao'er?" Shen Chengzhou's eyes lit up.
He had a very good impression of Gu Zhi, and he also knew in his heart that Ling Xiao liked Gu Zhi very much. Shen Chengzhou was naturally happy that the two of them could be together.
"Yes." Ling Qingwan nodded.
"You told her everything that happened in our house and the difficulties she might encounter after marrying Xiao'er. Is she still willing?" Shen Chengzhou was still not sure.
Not to mention ordinary women, most people would probably give up if they knew this.
"Yes." Ling Qingwan smiled. "I was just worried that Zhier would feel wronged after marrying in, and I said it very bluntly that day. Otherwise, she wouldn't have said she needed to think about it for a while."
That made sense. Shen Chengzhou felt relieved.
"Although Xiao'er is not very smart, he is lucky. First, he has a smart and capable sister who takes care of him and helps him get rid of many ties. Now he has a kind and gentle fiancée. It is true that fools have good fortunes."
Ling Qingwan was about to refute Shen Chengzhou and say that Ling Xiao was not stupid. But then she thought of how he learned from Wei Xun to climb over the wall to find Gu Zhi and even said some cheesy words like Wei Xun. Ling Qingwan decided to shut up.
Ling Xiao is indeed stupid, but he is also indeed blessed.
Not only Shen Chengzhou, but Ling Qingwan also had a very good impression of Gu Zhi.
When they first met, she was wondering who a girl like Gu Zhi would marry in the future. Unexpectedly, it turned out to be her silly brother.
At night, Wei Xun came to the general's mansion.
Seeing that Ling Qingwan was in a good mood, he was very curious and asked. Ling Qingwan then told Wei Xun what happened last night and today.
Hearing that Ling Xiao learned how to treat his beloved, Wei Xun's mouth twitched, not knowing what to say.
"You too, you never behave well in front of my brother. He just follows you."