Lanyin noticed that his smile was so wide that even his small mustache was trembling, and wrinkles formed at the corners of his eyes. Seeing the stack of promissory notes in his hands, she immediately understood the source of his joy.
Shopkeeper Sun chuckled and said, “As per your instructions, I told them that aside from today’s custom-made garments, many have also signed contracts with us, agreeing that from now on, all the seasonal clothing for the servants in their households will be provided by our Jinxiu Hall!”
This was a continuous stream of wealth!
And this was only the beginning. Judging by the situation outside, there were likely even more people who would want to do business with them in the future! The more Shopkeeper Sun thought about it, the happier he became. Initially, when the master decided to enter the ready-made clothing business, he had been worried. But now, it was clear that the master had both the skill and the foresight!
This business was far more profitable than selling dozens of bolts of fabric a day as they did in the past.
Since the shop was making money, Lanyin was naturally pleased. However, thinking of Qi Yubai, she found herself uncertain about how to face him.
It had been four days since she left home. Today, Grandmother Qi was also supposed to come over, and she couldn’t keep avoiding them forever. When she saw Qi Yubai, what should she say to him? What could she say? Before, when she was unaware of Qi Yubai’s feelings, she had already found it difficult to accept his kindness with a clear conscience. Now that she knew his heart, it was even more impossible.
Lanyin’s mind was still in turmoil.
Suddenly, she heard Shopkeeper Sun let out a small exclamation.
“Master, it’s Lord Qi and the Old Madam of the Qi family!” Shopkeeper Sun was standing by the window, so he immediately caught sight of the scene outside.
Upon hearing this title, Lanyin’s heart gave a fierce jolt. She instinctively turned back, and sure enough, across the street, Qi Yubai was supporting Grandmother Qi as they walked in her direction. Though they were still separated by a street, the moment her gaze landed on him, Lanyin realized that as if sensing something, the man lifted his eyes and looked over toward her.
After four days apart, seeing those familiar phoenix eyes once again, Lanyin suddenly panicked. Without thinking, she dodged to the side. But as soon as she realized what she had just done, her heart pounded wildly, and her fair face slowly turned pale.
Inside the room, neither Shopkeeper Sun nor Shi Yu noticed her abnormal reaction, but Lanyin’s heart was in complete disarray.
Her hands, hanging at her sides, unconsciously clenched the fabric of her clothes. The usual calm composure on her delicate and beautiful face was nowhere to be found.
She could only hope that Qi Yubai hadn’t noticed her reaction. Otherwise, she truly wouldn’t know how to explain herself.
“What’s wrong?”
Grandmother Qi noticed the young man beside her suddenly stop in his tracks and couldn’t help but ask.
Qi Yubai came back to his senses. Looking at the window where the person had already disappeared, he withdrew his gaze and continued forward. “It’s nothing.”
If it had been before, he would have felt lost and hurt when Lanyin avoided him. But now that he knew the reason why she avoided him…
He only pursed his lips and smiled slightly.
Grandmother Qi had no idea where his good mood came from. She had already noticed his odd behavior since last night. Just as she was about to speak, a few voices greeting them came from ahead—it was the people lining up outside Jinxiu Hall.
The Qi family’s reputation among the common folk was excellent.
Qi Yubai was known for serving the people and was also the top scholar of Jingde’s eighth year, making him highly respected by the citizens. Meanwhile, Grandmother Qi had always been charitable, personally setting up porridge stalls every year to aid the poor… Seeing this grandparent-grandson pair arrive, especially Qi Yubai, the crowd was beyond surprised.
“Old Madam, do you also know the owner inside?”
“Yes.” Grandmother Qi carried no airs about her. Hearing the inquiry, she no longer paid attention to Qi Yubai’s unusual behavior and instead smiled as she conversed with them. “She is a junior I watched grow up. Since she is opening her shop today, of course, I have to come and join in the excitement.”
“My little girl is managing things on her own, which is not easy. You must all support her in the future.”
“She’s actually your junior!”
“If she’s one of yours, we will definitely support her!”
If the earlier commotion had already left the crowd in awe of Gu Lanyin and eager to befriend her, then the arrival of the Qi family’s esteemed elders completely elevated their impression of her—and by extension, her Jinxiu Hall—to a whole new level.
“Grandmother Qi.”
As the crowd discussed among themselves, Lanyin finally came out. She first greeted Grandmother Qi, and after hearing her warm response, she lowered her gaze slightly toward Qi Yubai’s direction. She did not look at his face but instead fixed her eyes on his waist sash. Seeing the sachet hanging there, her eyelids twitched slightly.
“…Brother.”
Her expression and tone were the same as before. If Qi Yubai had not already known her feelings, he might have truly been deceived by her. But precisely because he knew, he paid even closer attention to her every move, and thus, even the smallest details—perhaps ones even Lanyin herself was unaware of—were caught by him.
He saw how, as she spoke, her left thumb continuously pinched her index finger. He noticed the slight trembling of her long eyelashes, like butterfly wings fluttering. Even her voice, though deliberately restrained, carried an unmistakable quiver.
Qi Yubai remained silent for a long time, making Lanyin all the more uneasy.
Just as she began to wonder if Qi Yubai had realized something, she heard him respond with a light “Mm,” his tone as usual, no different from before.
Her heart suddenly relaxed.
The tension in her body also eased significantly.
The moment Grandmother Qi saw her, she paid no attention to anyone else. She stepped forward, took Lanyin’s hand, and carefully examined her while asking, “Are you tired? Why do I feel like you’ve lost weight in just a few days?” Her face was filled with undisguised concern.
“I’m not tired.”
Lanyin remained as gentle as ever toward her. She curved her eyes into a soft smile and said, “It’s hot outside. You and Brother should go inside and sit.”
Grandmother Qi was just about to agree when a few more carriages arrived.
Lanyin initially thought they were from yet another household sending gifts, but unexpectedly, this time, two elderly women in luxurious attire stepped out. They were surrounded by maids and attendants, and Lanyin actually recognized them—though they were not particularly close.
The woman in purple robes, with silver hair and a pearl-encrusted forehead band, was none other than the mother of Hanlin Academy’s Grand Scholar, Ji Zurong. While the Ji family’s overall status among the nobility was not particularly high, this Ji family matriarch held extraordinary prestige. She wielded a dragon-headed staff and had been personally granted the title of Princess Zhaoyang by the late emperor. Even the current emperor had to respectfully address her as “Aunt.”
The woman in brown robes was the mother of Feng Guang, a prince of a different surname.
These two were the true matriarchs of the noble circles in Bianjing! Lanyin certainly did not believe they were here simply out of respect for the Pang family. Just as she was still feeling astonished, Grandmother Qi smiled and led her over. “You two are too slow. I live farther away than you and still arrived first!”
“You think we’re still young? We’re all old with weak limbs, so of course, we move slower.” Madam Ji grumbled at Grandmother Qi before turning to look at Lanyin. “Is this the little girl you were talking about? Ah, why does she look somewhat familiar to me?”
“Look at your memory!”
Madam Feng scoffed at her. “She is the eldest daughter of Marquis Changxing, Gu Hongqian.” Though her hair was completely silver, she did not appear the least bit frail—on the contrary, she was full of energy.
For Lanyin, these two were figures she could only respectfully greet from a distance in the past. She never expected that they would personally come here today. If everything Qi Yubai had done for her made her feel both grateful and uneasy, then what Grandmother Qi did at this moment made her want to cry… She barely managed to suppress the emotions stirring in her heart. As Grandmother Qi introduced her, she greeted the two elders, “Madam Feng, Madam Ji.”
“What’s with the ‘Madam’? So distant!” The Feng family’s matriarch frowned. “Whatever you call Zhou Caiwei, you can call us the same.”
“Tch!”
Grandmother Qi laughed at her. “You have quite the nerve. If you want my girl to call you that, then don’t forget the red envelopes when the new year and festivals come around.”
“A red envelope? Hah, as if I can’t afford that?” The Feng family matriarch spoke as she removed a bracelet from her own wrist. Then, holding Lanyin’s hand, she insisted on putting it on her. Despite her age, her strength was not small. Before Lanyin could even refuse, the bracelet was already on her wrist.
“This is a meeting gift. Little girl, you can change how you address me now.”
Lanyin had never encountered such an elder before. She hesitated for a moment, but then a deep voice came from behind her—Qi Yubai.
“Keep it.” He spoke in a voice low enough for only the two of them to hear. “Grandmother Feng may be impatient, but she means no harm.”
The warmth of his breath brushed against her ear.
The familiar scent of ebony and sandalwood filled her senses. Lanyin’s body trembled slightly, and she momentarily forgot to refuse. Instead, she gave a small bow to the Feng family’s matriarch. “Thank you, Grandmother Feng.”
As she spoke, she subtly moved aside under the guise of the bow, trying to put some distance between herself and Qi Yubai.
She thought her actions were unnoticeable, but Qi Yubai, who had been watching her all along, slightly raised his brows. However, he said nothing and did not deliberately step closer. He merely stood quietly behind them, listening to their conversation.
“I want one too, I want one too. Little girl, you can’t favor one and neglect the other.” The Ji family’s matriarch spoke as she took a jade hairpin from her head and placed it in Lanyin’s hair, clearly expecting the same form of address as Madam Feng.
These noblewomen, whom Lanyin once thought were untouchable and distant, now felt like mischievous old children, competing over a simple form of address. She wasn’t sure why, but perhaps it was because they reminded her of her maternal grandmother, or perhaps it was the warmth in their gestures—either way, the tension on her face slowly eased, and a soft smile emerged. Looking at the purple-robed elder before her, she called out in a gentle voice, “Grandmother Ji.”
Once the elders nodded in satisfaction, Lanyin then invited them, “The sun is strong outside. Grandmothers, please come inside and have a seat.”
Naturally, they had no objections.
Lanyin supported Grandmother Qi while also leading the Ji and Feng family matriarchs into the shop. Qi Yubai, however, did not immediately follow. Instead, he instructed Tianqing to call some soldiers from the patrol camp over to prevent any incidents due to the growing crowd.
After settling the three elderly ladies in a private room on the second floor, Lanyin was about to step inside when she noticed that Qi Yubai hadn’t followed.
She turned around and found the second-floor corridor empty—there wasn’t a single person in sight. She had no idea where he had gone. A faint worry surfaced in her heart. Even though she had told herself to keep her distance from him, her feet moved of their own accord, retreating toward the outside. She spoke to the elders inside, “Grandmothers, please sit for a moment. I will call someone to prepare tea.”
With that, under their watchful gazes, she turned and walked away.
Hurrying to the staircase, she saw Qi Yubai ascending the steps bathed in sunlight. Today, he was still dressed in his usual blue, but instead of his everyday attire, he wore a high-collared, round-necked long robe. The white undergarment beneath peeked out just enough to accentuate his slender yet restrained neckline. The subtle prominence of his Adam’s apple lent him an inexplicable allure.
Seeing the concern on her face, his footsteps briefly paused, and he smiled as he asked, “Were you waiting for me?”
The moment Lanyin laid eyes on Qi Yubai’s face, she instinctively wanted to avoid him. But while she could excuse her earlier avoidance behind the window as stepping out to greet them, dodging him now would be a blatant admission of guilt. So despite the turmoil in her heart, she forced herself to maintain composure, adopting her usual tone and expression as she said, “I didn’t see Brother following, so I was worried something had happened.”
“I told Tianqing to bring in some soldiers from the patrol camp,” Qi Yubai said as he continued ascending the stairs.
His words momentarily made Lanyin forget to retreat. Instead, she stared at him in surprise and asked, “The patrol camp?”
“Mm,” Qi Yubai explained to her, “Though you arranged for officers to maintain order, the crowd is too large. If something were to happen, those few officers wouldn’t be able to handle it. It’s safer to have soldiers from the patrol camp oversee things.”
Seeing Lanyin’s brows knit together as if she was about to apologize, Qi Yubai spoke before she could, “You’ve already done very well.”
She had arranged for officers to manage the crowd and prepared refreshments to keep people comfortable. Even without him, she had handled everything flawlessly.
His gentle reassurance made Lanyin momentarily lose her bearings. By the time she regained her senses, Qi Yubai was already standing in front of her. At this moment, she stood at the top of the staircase, while he was one step below her—only a palm’s width apart. The close proximity made her breath tighten in an instant.
She wanted to step back, but suddenly, Qi Yubai grasped her wrist.
The moment their skin touched, Lanyin froze. Perhaps because of sheer shock, she momentarily forgot to struggle. Her feet remained rigidly planted, and her gaze dropped, staring blankly at the hand that held her.
His fingers were long and strong.
Though his grip was light, it felt as though there was an invisible force preventing her from breaking free.
Lanyin had no idea how to describe her emotions at this moment. It was as if all the life had been drained from her, leaving behind only an empty shell. Her gaze slowly moved from his hand up to his face. She wanted to speak, but no words came out.
She could only stare dazedly at Qi Yubai before her.
Behind her were rows of private rooms, and she could even hear Grandmother Qi and the other two elders chatting and laughing in one of them. Downstairs, the shop was bustling with servants coming and going, while Shopkeeper Sun was still entertaining guests.
The surroundings were filled with noise and activity, yet this corridor felt unnervingly quiet.
Sunlight streamed through the carved wooden windows, casting a warm halo around Qi Yubai. He stood within it, his features gentle, his gaze clear. Meanwhile, she was filled with unease, her heart pounding violently in her chest, as though it would leap from her throat at any moment.
The possibility of being discovered at any time finally jolted Lanyin back to her senses.
“Brother, what are you doing?” She lowered her voice to speak, attempting to pull her hand back from his grasp. But just as she had expected, Qi Yubai’s grip was firm—she simply couldn’t break free.
Had it been anyone else, Lanyin would have slapped them by now.
But this was Qi Yubai.
The name Qi Yubai alone was enough to nullify everything.
She didn’t even feel anger, only fear and unease. She was afraid of being seen by others, afraid that… Lanyin was horrified to realize that, in this moment, what she feared most was not her own reputation being damaged—but whether Qi Yubai would be affected because of her.
“Don’t be afraid.”
Qi Yubai saw the panic in her eyes but still did not release her. Instead, he gently reassured her, “I’ve already checked—this is a blind spot. The people downstairs won’t see us. As for Grandmother and the others…” He chuckled lightly. “They’re happily catching up with old friends. They won’t be coming out.”
His words made it clear to Lanyin—this was premeditated.
But why?
In the past, Qi Yubai had been cautious in everything for the sake of her reputation. If Ting Yun hadn’t told her, she never would have known that he had feelings for her. But now… why was he suddenly not hiding it anymore?
A thought flashed through her mind. As soon as the possibility occurred to her, her face turned deathly pale, and her pupils widened in shock.
Unless… he knew as well.
The realization sent a wave of terror through her, making her heart pound wildly. She didn’t dare to confirm whether he truly knew, so she could only suppress her panic and hoarsely ask, “Brother, what exactly do you want to do?”
“Nothing much. I just have a question for you.”
Qi Yubai’s tone remained gentle, his once-dark eyes now softened with warmth. He looked at Lanyin, leaning forward slightly. Under her flustered gaze, he met her eyes and asked,
“Gu Lanyin, these past few days—have you been avoiding me?”