bullyxtreme Chapter 271 A beating would be more appropriate
Chapter 271 A beating would be more appropriate
Prince Mu completely forgot that he was several years younger than the people in front of him.
He quickly stepped forward and stopped Gu Qingyue from curtsying. This was outrageous!
If Uncle Qi finds out, he'll teach him a lesson!
Recalling the fear of being dominated by Uncle Qi's military rod, Mu Jinyan couldn't help but shudder.
"Alright, alright, we're so familiar, why the need for formalities!" Mu Jinyan raised his hand to stop Gu Qingyue.
Gu Qingyue seized the opportunity and immediately stood up straight.
Gu Yuanen witnessed this scene and shook his head with amusement.
Looking at Gu Qingyue with doting eyes, he knew his little sister wasn't one to bow to people; a beating would be more appropriate.
Jiang Wan, standing behind Gu Qingyue, breathed a sigh of relief.
She had just sent the coachman back to ask the fourth young master for money, but unexpectedly he brought the fourth young master back with him. That's good, now there's money to buy jewelry for the girl.
How clever she is!
"What did you choose? Fourth Brother will give it to you," Gu Yuanen asked Gu Qingyue, gesturing for Mu Jinyan to sit down.
"No need to buy, I'm just looking. The jewelry is quite nice," she said, picking up a kingfisher feather and coral plum blossom hairpin to examine it closely.
She could take this opportunity to learn from others and see what the popular high-end jewelry on the market looks like, which would help her designs better meet market demands.
Cui Jiaojiao, who had been silent the whole time, finally spoke up, "You two knew each other before?"
Gu Qingyue was taken aback. "I've seen you in Lizhou."
Then they started discussing the jewelry with Cui Jiaojiao.
She couldn't appear too close to Mu Jinyan; it wouldn't be good for them.
Gu Qingyue now represents the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, and she clearly understands this principle, so she changed the subject and did not say more.
Cui Jiaojiao looked at the group of people suspiciously for a few moments before getting back to selecting jewelry.
No woman can resist the allure of beautiful jewelry.
The two little girls in front of them were chattering away, and Gu Yuanen and Mu Jinyan couldn't help but glance at them.
Cui Jiaojiao's behavior is normal, but... is Gu Qingyue the kind of woman who would chatter away over jewelry? I feel like I don't recognize her anymore.
When the group came out of the jewelry store, Cui Jiaojiao was as excited as a bird on a branch, constantly talking about the jewelry she had bought, of course, to Gu Yuanen.
The incident occurred when the shopkeeper arrived just as they were settling the bill. Upon seeing Gu Yuanen, he acted as if he were seeing a family member, telling them to take all the jewelry they had chosen without paying any money.
Gu Yuanen and Gu Qingyue both knew it was because it was their uncle's shop.
But others don't know that!
After some initial hesitation, I bought everything I had chosen at a 50% discount.
Cui Jiaojiao was overjoyed!
She said that the manager of Liufang Pavilion was the kindest person she had ever met!
Whether it's the jewelry, the service, or the price, there's nothing wrong with it.
She especially praised Gu Yuanen for securing a 50% discount for them, and her round face beamed like a little sun.
Gu Qingyue exchanged a helpless glance with Gu Yuanen, then shut her mouth and said nothing.
As they left Liufang Pavilion, they saw that it was already getting dark, so they agreed to go to Hetaifeng, the largest restaurant in the city.
The carriage had just stopped, and Gu Qingyue hadn't even gotten out when she was drawn by the noise outside.
"Princess Qing'an, have you finished praying for blessings? You're back so soon?" A nonchalant voice came from inside the carriage.
Princess Qing'an? Gu Qingyue's heart skipped a beat. Had that old nanny Wu returned yet?
Gu Qingyue lifted a corner of the carriage curtain and saw Princess Qing'an standing at the entrance of Hetaifeng Restaurant in the distance.
Compared to her last visit to Lizhou, she had clearly lost a lot of weight. Four maids stood behind her. Gu Qingyue looked closely but didn't see Granny Wu, which made her slightly disappointed.
However, since Princess Qing'an has returned, Granny Wu should have returned as well.
"Young Master Jiang is such a worrywart, thank you very much!" Princess Qing'an raised her chin, looking at Jiang Chenghuan with disdain.
So what if his father is Chiang Kai-shek, the Grand Secretary? So what if he wields absolute power in the court? Isn't he still a subject? How can he compare to the imperial family?
"I was just being overly concerned, but I didn't expect the princess to be so ungrateful," Jiang Chenghuan replied in a slick manner, while the spoiled rich kids following behind him all wore mocking expressions.
Princess Qing'an gritted her teeth in anger, but there was nothing she could do.
She glared fiercely at Jiang Chenghuan, then strode away with her maid.
Watching Princess Qing'an's carriage drive away, Jiang Chenghuan 'whoosh' opened his fan and fanned himself before leading his group of cronies into He Tai Feng.
Jiang Chenghuan was the most dissolute playboy in the capital of the Great Chu.
Everyone in the capital knew that the third son of the Jiang family was "charitable and fond of beautiful women".
The number of women he redeemed from brothels on a whim could probably fill a battalion. He would play with them until he was tired of them, then sell them off. It was common knowledge.
He had a brief engagement with Princess Qing'an five years ago.
Later, Prince An petitioned the Emperor to cancel the engagement. Although the reason given by Prince An's mansion was high-sounding, he had inquired privately and learned that Qing'an had suddenly fallen in love with someone else, namely Gu Yuanming, the third son of the second branch of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.
It is said that before the Lunar New Year, Qing'an shamelessly ran away to the Lizhou camp and harassed Gu Yuanming several times. He was eventually captured by Prince An and brought back to the capital.
He was aware that Qing'an might be going to be married off to a foreign ruler.
It was he who encouraged his father to advise the emperor on this matter. Since this shameless woman was unwilling to marry him, it would be perfect to send her away for a political marriage!
The arrogant and domineering Princess Qing'an left, unaware that her tragic fate of being forced into a political marriage was entirely due to the man she had just met; otherwise, she might have vomited blood on the spot.
As Gu Qingyue watched the farce come to an end, Gu Yuanen gently knocked on the carriage window, and she took the opportunity to get off the carriage.
After meeting up with Cui Jiaojiao, the group entered He Tai Feng.
It is said that this is the largest and most luxurious restaurant in the capital. Gu Qingyue was stunned by the grand and luxurious lobby as soon as she entered. There were no open rooms, only private rooms.
Furthermore, starting from the second floor, the second, third, and fourth floors are all for dining, while the first floor only has a decorative landscaping area and a temporary reception area. The owner behind this is truly generous!
In this prime location, it's quite remarkable that such a large area on the first floor is left unused.
Following the waiter, the group went directly up to the fourth floor and entered a large private room. The room was decorated in a low-key yet luxurious style, with several antique paintings and calligraphy hanging on the walls, not to mention the exquisite ornaments on the display cabinet.
From the moment she started ordering, Gu Qingyue carefully observed He Tai Feng's service process.
The dishes served were naturally the light and refreshing flavors most popular in the capital. Gu Qingyue tried each dish and found them to be quite good, but not particularly amazing.
As Gu Qingyue ate, she pondered and gradually gained confidence. If she were to open Wenxianglou in the capital, with slight adjustments to the menu, it would be a very promising venture.
Cui Jiaojiao watched Gu Qingyue eating her food, but she seemed lost in thought. She poked Gu Qingyue's shoulder with her finger and asked, "What are you thinking about so intently?"
Gu Qingyue snapped out of her reverie and smiled brightly, "It's nothing, I was just thinking about something else."