Chapter Sixty Coexistence

  Yè Qīnglán suddenly understood, and smiled brightly: "I've been feeling unwell these past few days, so I won't go. If Xiǎo Yù doesn't mind, I'll stay here to keep you company."

  This remark was in line with Mrs. Zheng's intentions, and a smile appeared at the corner of her lips. Indeed, she was a clever and intelligent maid, and even she couldn't help but start liking her.

  "Yu'er, Lan's sister will stay with you, okay?" Zheng's wife's voice was extremely gentle.

  Gu Xiuyu nodded and then quickly looked up at Ye Qinglan. The two still didn't speak, but their eyes exchanged a lot of information.

  Ye Qingning saw it with her own eyes, and her heart was even more sour than before.

  Ping Lan and Ye Qinglan are always by her side on weekdays. Now, they have turned their backs on themselves to make friends with Gu Xizhu. Hmph!

  Ye Qinglan seemed to know what she was thinking, and quickly made a gesture with her eyes, then smiled apologetically. Ye Qingning felt a little more at ease in her heart. Along with Mrs. Zheng, she left the Jingyuan Garden to admire those few pots of famous orchids.

  "Has Ning's marriage with Junyan been settled?" asked Mrs. Zheng with a smile.

  Ye Qingning's smile paused for a moment.

  Zheng smiled as if nothing was wrong and said: "They are all still young, no need to rush for now."

  "Someone as good as Junyan should be settled down early. Otherwise, there are many people eyeing him, and if he's snatched away by someone else, Ning will cry herself to death."

  Were these words intentional or unintentional?

  "Zheng's eyes flashed, and she smiled in response: 'If it's hers, no one can take it away. If it's not hers, forcing it won't work either. After all, a lifelong event isn't something that can be decided by just one person; it also depends on whether the two of them have this affinity.'"

  Ye Qingning couldn't even force a smile, hanging her head in silence.

  Fortunately, Mrs. Zheng quickly changed the subject and enthusiastically discussed those few pots of orchids with Mr. Zheng. Ye Qingru also curiously approached them.

  Ye Qing's mood was not good, and he didn't have the heart to appreciate any orchids. He pretended to be very interested and stood aside, but his mind had long since wandered off.

  At this time, Ye Qinglan was quietly waiting with Gu Xiyu together.

  Gu Xiuyu had always disliked crowds, and almost all the maids had retreated. Only one maid, sixteen or seventeen years old, stood aside. The maid was born very delicate, very steady and meticulous, silently standing aside.

  Ye Qinglan still kept a distance of about one meter from Gu Xiyu. Gu Xiyu didn't want to talk, and she didn't say much either, just quietly accompanying her by her side. The room was very quiet, with only the faint sound of breathing audible.

  After a long time, Gu Xiuyu couldn't help but glance at Ye Qinglan secretly.

  Ye Qinglan's eyes locked onto his, and a thread of sympathy suddenly rose in her heart. She clearly yearned to communicate with others, yet didn't dare take the initiative to speak up, only daring to hide in her own world...

  "What's your maid's name?" Ye Qinglan's voice was soft and gentle, as if afraid of scaring the girl in front of her.

  "She's called Mo Xiang," said Gu Xiuyu in a low voice.

  Ye Qinglan sincerely praised: "This name sounds really good."

  A faint smile appeared on Gu Xiyu's lips. Ye Qinglan's heart skipped a beat, and she asked tentatively, "Is this name something you chose for her?"

  Gu Xi Yu was taken aback, her eyes wide open, looking especially adorable.

  She guessed it! Ye Qinglan couldn't help but laugh, her smile both clever and playful: "Are you thinking about how I could have guessed so accurately?"

  She's like a tapeworm in her own belly. She even knows what she herself is thinking!

  Gu Xi Yu stared blankly at Ye Qing Lan, her eyes full of astonishment.

  What's hard to guess? Gu Xiuyu's face was like a sheet of white paper, all her thoughts were clearly written on it. Ye Qinglan mischievously said with a smile: "Actually, I can read minds, no matter what you're thinking, I just need to take a look at you and I'll know."

  Gu Xiuyu finally couldn't help but open her mouth and ask: "What is mind-reading?"

  Ye Qinglan said seriously, "Mind-reading technique is a special ability. As long as you look at the other person, you can know what they are thinking in their heart. Just like now, I'm looking at you and I can see what's in your mind. You're thinking, 'I'm really awesome, right?'"

  Gu Xiuyu was stunned and nodded obediently.

  Just like an obedient little white rabbit.

  Ye Qinglan couldn't help it anymore, and burst out laughing: "You really believed what I said! Earlier was just to tease you, there's no such thing as mind-reading skills in this world. I was just randomly guessing, who knew I got them all right."

  Her laughter is crisp and bright, with a strong infectious power.

  Gu Xiuyu couldn't help but laugh too.

  Mo Xiang was initially unhappy, thinking that Ye Qinglan was intentionally teasing the young lady. But unexpectedly, this harmless joke actually made the young lady laugh, and she swallowed back the words that had reached her lips.

  The two of them stood facing each other and smiled for a while, and the atmosphere naturally relaxed a lot.

  Ye Qinglan was best at dealing with all sorts of eccentric and reclusive people, and the topic came easily to her: "Xiuyu older sister, do you also live in Jingxinyuan?"

  Gu Xi Yu was not as reserved as she was at the beginning, and she spoke a little more than before: "No, I live in Leng Yue Pavilion." Her speech was not very fluent, just like a child who had just learned to speak, with a slight pause between each word.

  Ye Qinglan smiled naturally: "This name sounds really good, won't you also come up with it?"

  Gu Xi Yu nodded slightly with a hint of shyness.

  With a good start, Ye Qinglan began to chat with Gu Xiuyu without leaving any traces. She said four or five sentences, and Gu Xiuyu responded with about one sentence. Of course, this so-called "one sentence" was mostly just "uh-huh", "yes", and the like, basically not exceeding five words.

  When interacting with autistic patients, the most taboo thing is to mock and ridicule them. One must have great patience to listen to every word and every sentence they say. As long as you don't reject yourself, it's already a very successful step.

  If there's a chance to meet again in the future, it would be best to find time for formal psychological treatment for Gu Xizhen...

  The door was suddenly pushed open.

  Ye Qinglan reflexively furrowed her brow. Which careless fool was this, didn't they know to knock on the door before entering?

  A tall figure appeared at the door, and because of the backlight, Ye Qinglan couldn't see his face clearly. But that elegant demeanor, like a celestial being's bearing, who else could it be but Gu Si Gongzi?

  Gu Xiannian's careless gaze lingered on Ye Qinglan's face for a moment before moving away, smiling and saying: "Yu'er, you look very good today."

  Gu Xi Yu was very dependent on this brother and actually took the initiative to get up and welcome him.

  Ye Qinglan also stood up and walked over, slightly bending her knees with both hands clasped together, saying politely: "Nice to meet you, Cousin Gu."

  This time it was absolutely not Ye Qinglan's illusion, Gu Xiannian's gaze lingered on her face for a moment before smiling faintly and saying: "No need to be polite, Lan sister."

  Those two sharp gazes were as if they had substance, directly looking into her eyes, as if to see through all her secrets.

  Ye Qinglan's heart skipped a beat, but her face remained calm and expressionless, with a smile still plastered on it as she stepped aside. She seemed to intentionally yet unintentionally take a few steps back, and the discomfort of being scrutinized only slightly dissipated.

  A man with such deep eyes, how could he be the gentle and modest gentleman in Ye Qingning's words?

  Obviously, this is a profound and unpredictable man who is good at disguise. Such a man can be described in one word: dangerous!

  And she never liked adventure, nor did she like being stared at by people with such unpredictable and piercing eyes.

  Gu Xiannian apparently sensed the vigilance under Ye Qinglan's smile, and his eyes narrowed slightly, with a hint of sharpness flashing at the bottom. However, he didn't look at Ye Qinglan again, but instead gently lowered his head to ask Gu Xiyu: "Why are only you and Lan sister here? Where are Mother and the others?"

  "Look at the orchid." Gu Xiuyu's answer was always concise.

  Gu Xiannian was already accustomed to her way of speaking, and smiled upon hearing this: "You're going to the garden to see those few pots of orchids, right? Today's weather is fine, it's a perfect day for appreciating orchids. Why don't we go take a look too?"

  Gu Xiuyi hesitated for a moment. She didn't like going to crowded places, so she rarely went to the garden. But her big brother seemed to want her to go out and clear her mind...

  "Let's go together, Jade Sister!" Ye Qinglan chimed in with a smile: "I also want to take a look at those few pots of orchids."

  Gu Xiyu thought for a moment and nodded in agreement.

  Gu Xian looked at Ye Qinglan with some surprise. She really didn't expect that Yu'er would actually listen to her words...

  Ye Qinglan subtly avoided Gu Xi Ye's gaze and walked out with Gu Xizhen, of course, although they were walking side by side, there was still a distance between them.

  This distance made Gu Xiuyu feel exceptionally at ease. She turned her head and gave Ye Qinglan a faint smile.

  This is Gu Xi Yu's first truly unguarded smile today.

  Ye Qinglan felt delighted and returned a brilliant smile. Her slightly pale complexion suddenly became vivid due to this brilliant smile, full of life and color.

  Gu Xiannian's eyes flashed, and she smiled faintly: "I heard that Lan sister is not feeling well and stayed in the capital to rest. Mother was rash to invite you as a guest, it's quite an imposition."

  I heard? When did she become a celebrity that even such a small matter would spread outside the mansion? Or... has Gu Xiannian been secretly paying attention to her every move all along?

  Ye Qinglan smiled and replied: "Brother Gu's words have made me feel uneasy. Having the opportunity to come to the Dingguo Duke's mansion as a guest is my honor."

  The stunning impression at first sight had long been thrown out of her mind. At this moment, her heart was full of vigilance.

  Although Gu Xiannian didn't show anything unusual, she had a bad premonition. The feeling was like being targeted by a hunter, with the danger of being killed at any moment.

  She was the prey, and he was the confident hunter.

  Thinking deeper, Gu Xi Ye is definitely not the kind of person whose emotions can be easily seen. So where did this intense unease she's feeling now come from?

  It was obviously done on purpose by him.