Gongzi Qi said, "Since I took on this responsibility for you, leave everything to me."
Upon hearing this, Hua Wuduo immediately relaxed his brows. Gongzi Qi was cunning and shrewd, but trustworthy!
Seeing this, Gongzi Yi teased Hua Wuduo, saying, "Luckily you told the truth, otherwise, my sister Duoduo's reputation would have been completely ruined by you."
Hua Wuduo disagreed, saying, "I never intended to sing in the first place."
Gongzi Yi seemed to have thought of something and laughed, "I don't believe your singing is really that bad. Sing one for me."
Hua Wuduo glanced at him and said, "Don't even think about it!"
Gongzi Yi snorted in great dissatisfaction.
Seeing the two locked in a stalemate, Gongzi Qi changed the subject, asking, "What were you two looking at just now?"
Upon hearing this, Gongzi Yi immediately became interested again, staring intently at Hua Wuduo, waiting for her answer.
Hua Wuduo hesitated for a long time before telling the truth. He thought it was no big deal, but unexpectedly, it made the two of them sigh repeatedly.
Gongzi Yi poked at the food in front of him with his chopsticks, then threw them down with a sigh, "How pitiful..."
Gongzi Qi elegantly put down his chopsticks, shook his head and sighed, "How pitiful..."
Hua Wuduo was puzzled by this and said, "Although he is very rich, I am not a money-grubber." He was really guilty about this, so he quickly added, "I am not pitiful for not going to see him, and you don't need to sigh for me."
At this moment, Gongzi Yi said, "Who said you are pitiful? We are talking about Li She."
Hua Wuduo was greatly surprised upon hearing this and asked in confusion, "What do you mean?" She felt that she was doing quite well.
Gongzi Qi sighed, "Li She actually wants to be your confidant. I wonder if he'll be lucky enough to see the sun rise tomorrow."
"Am I that terrifying?" Hua Wuduo glanced sideways at Gongzi Qi.
Gongzi Qi smiled but did not answer. Gongzi Yi replied, "You're not very scary." Hua Wuduo was about to praise Gongzi Yi with a smile when he heard Gongzi Yi sigh and say, "You are extremely scary."
Hua Wuduo flew into a rage upon hearing this, and in a flash, stabbed a pair of chopsticks at Gongzi Yi's nostrils. Gongzi Yi quickly dodged, one striking, the other dodging, while Gongzi Qi watched with a smile. Just then, a clear male voice suddenly rang out from the courtyard gate: "Have I disturbed you all?"
Grand Gathering of Young Masters
Hua Wuduo looked over upon hearing the sound and was surprised to see a person—it was none other than Gongzi Yu, whom he hadn't seen for half a year!
Gongzi Yu stood by the courtyard gate, gently waving a folding fan in his hand, a slight upturn at the corner of his mouth, exuding a dashing and debonair air.
Having not seen Gongzi Yu for a long time, Hua Wuduo felt extremely warm upon seeing him. Just as she was about to get up to greet him, Gongzi Qi stopped her. Gongzi Qi shook his head at her, and Hua Wuduo immediately understood that her current identity was not Hua Wuduo from the academy, but Wu Duoduo, Gongzi Yi's younger sister. So she steadied herself and pretended not to recognize Gongzi Yu, but still stared intently at him.
At this moment, Gongzi Yi exclaimed and jumped up from his seat, striding forward to greet him. He said excitedly, "Yu, you're here too! Why are you alone? Where are the others?"
Gongzi Yu snapped his folding fan shut and pointed one end at Gongzi Yi and Gongzi Qi, saying, "You! And you! How dare you come to Jiangling before us! What is your punishment!"
Gongzi Qi also stood up to greet him. Upon hearing this, he smiled and said, "That's easy. Tonight, the two of us will treat everyone to dinner as an apology. How about it?"
"Good!" Upon hearing this, Gongzi Yu immediately beamed. He swaggered in after Gongzi Yi and Gongzi Qi. When he reached the table, he suddenly noticed Hua Wuduo, who had been sitting there smiling at him. His eyes lit up, and he quickly asked, "And this is...?"
Gongzi Yi replied with a smile, "My younger sister, Wu Duoduo."
Upon hearing this, Gongzi Yu immediately bowed to Hua Wuduo and said, "Sister Duoduo, my name is Wenyu, I am here to greet you."
Seeing Gongzi Yu's polite manner, Hua Wuduo couldn't help but recall the time when they were both at the academy. Gongzi Yu happened to sit next to her during class. It was a hot day, and Gongzi Yu took off his shoes and socks in front of her, showing off his bare feet. The difference was truly like night and day. She couldn't help but find it amusing and returned the greeting gracefully, saying, "Brother Yu, I am very polite."
The sound of "brother" made Gongzi Yu beam with joy, and he quickly replied, "Sister, please rise, there's no need for such formality."
At this moment, Gongzi Qi asked, "Where are the others?"
Upon hearing this, Gongzi Yu shifted her gaze from Hua Wuduo to Gongzi Qi, then sat down next to Gongzi Yi and said unhurriedly, "I, Kuang, Xun, Ziyang, Zheng, and Xiu were also invited by Prince Jin to come to Jiangling. We traveled together and only arrived today. Xiu originally came with us, but upon arriving in Jiangling, he suddenly said he had important business and hurriedly left. We only visited Prince Jin at the Prince's residence this afternoon. My accommodation was arranged in the front, nearby. Just now, I heard some people talking here, and the voices sounded like Yi's, so I came in to take a look. I didn't expect it to be you all. I wonder what you were laughing and joking about just now? What was so scary?"
Gongzi Yu always liked to talk, and when Gongzi Qi asked him only one question, he gave a detailed answer.
Gongzi Yu was always a busybody, always drawn to wherever there was excitement. He loved listening to gossip and was particularly fond of talking nonsense. When he heard the word "horror," Hua Wuduo couldn't help but laugh at the sight of his bright, sparkling eyes.
Gongzi Qi glanced at Gongzi Yu, clearly knowing him too well and not wanting to answer him.
Gongzi Yi simply laughed it off, saying, "We were just talking about some trivial things."
Hua Wuduo watched Gongzi Yu with a smile, feeling a sense of warmth seeing his old self who wanted to know everything.
Upon hearing this, Gongzi Yu glanced at Gongzi Yi with displeasure. Then, his gaze shifted and he saw Hua Wuduo watching him with a smile. He couldn't help but use his folding fan to shield his eyes and whispered to Gongzi Yi beside him, "Yi, does your sister have feelings for me? Look at how she smiles at me, so sweet and friendly. It's as if we've known each other for years. Don't you think this is fate?"
Gongzi Yi replied in a low voice, "I think so, Yu. You have a good chance of becoming my brother-in-law."
Gongzi Yu glanced at Gongzi Yi and said, "Yi, we should keep the good stuff in the family. I will do my best."
Gongzi Yu thought that Wu Duoduo couldn't hear him speaking so softly, but little did he know that the person sitting opposite him was not the refined young lady Wu Duoduo, but Hua Wuduo, who was skilled in martial arts. Hua Wuduo had heard his conversation with Gongzi Yi clearly and quickly averted his gaze.
After chatting for a while, the group agreed that Gongzi Yi and Gongzi Qi would host dinner that evening. Gongzi Yu busied himself in informing the others. Gongzi Yu was not only quick-witted but also quick-acting. Soon, Gongzi Xun, Gongzi Kuang, Gongzi Zheng, and Gongzi Ziyang arrived at the east wing. They agreed to dine together at Fenglou, the largest restaurant in Jiangling. This time, Gongzi Yi and Gongzi Qi were destined to be ripped off.
Hua Wuduo was overjoyed to see so many classmates and friends in succession. Although she couldn't openly acknowledge them, she was already content just watching them. She completely forgot about Li She's invitation and Song Ziyin's mistake of taking the letter, and naturally, she also put Turtle Star's worries to the back of her mind, forgetting to ask Turtle Star how he reacted last night.
It was past dusk, and the group had booked the entire second floor of Fenglou. The aroma of wine was rich, the dishes exquisite, and everyone was toasting and chatting animatedly, creating a lively atmosphere. It was far more interesting than the meal they had at the Prince of Jin's residence the night before.
Hua Wuduo was still using Wu Duoduo's identity. Because of his noble status, he dared not make any rash moves. However, seeing so many classmates from Nanshu Academy at the same time warmed his heart. He kept smiling. He looked at Gongzi Xun one moment and Gongzi Zheng the next. More than half a year had passed, and they had all changed a little, but they still felt so close and familiar.
A group of people gathered together, chatting and laughing, with a constant stream of topics.
Gongzi Yu recounted the story with great enthusiasm: On his way here, Gongzi Zheng rescued a woman out of kindness, but she turned out to be a con artist who stole all his money. Later, Gongzi Zheng and Gongzi Kuang went to the local county magistrate to report the crime, but the shameless magistrate laughed at Gongzi Zheng for being too stupid to rescue someone and deserved to be robbed. In a fit of rage, Gongzi Zheng beat the magistrate black and blue, and Gongzi Kuang also beat a group of yamen runners so badly that they were seriously injured. The two of them almost caused a major disaster, but fortunately, Gongzi Xiu stepped in and resolved the matter.
Upon hearing this, Gongzi Yi laughed loudly and said, "That woman must be incredibly beautiful, otherwise why would you have come to her rescue?"
Everyone burst into laughter upon hearing this, nodding in agreement. Young Master Zheng blushed slightly, clearly as Young Master Yi had hit the nail on the head.
Hua Wuduo followed the crowd's gaze to Gongzi Zhengxiao. Gongzi Zhengxiao seemed to notice her gaze, and suddenly looked up and met her eyes. His gaze became slightly unfocused, and he seemed to be in a daze. Hua Wuduo quickly looked away when she saw this.
Gongzi Yu downed a gulp of wine and recounted how they had encountered several highway robbers on the road, describing how thrilling and exciting the scenes were, and how everyone worked together to kill the robbers without leaving a trace, which was incredibly satisfying! However, on one occasion, during the melee, Gongzi Ziyang was hit by a sneak arrow from a robber and was injured. Unexpectedly, this enraged Gongzi Xiu, who, in a fit of rage, killed all the robbers without leaving a single one alive. The scene was truly tragic.
Gongzi Yi and Gongzi Qi hurriedly asked Gongzi Ziyang how his injuries were. Gongzi Ziyang laughed and said he was fine. He then rolled up his sleeves, removed the bandages, and showed Gongzi Yi and Gongzi Qi his wound. The wound was deep in the flesh, about two inches long, and was already beginning to heal. It was indeed not serious, and Gongzi Yi and Gongzi Qi were relieved.
Hua Wuduo also joined Gongzi Yi and Gongzi Qi in examining Gongzi Ziyang's wounds with concern. When Gongzi Ziyang saw Hua Wuduo examining his injuries so openly and without any hesitation, he couldn't help but feel embarrassed. Upon seeing this, Hua Wuduo quickly returned to her seat, lowered her eyes and brows, and held her wine cup, sipping it as if it were tea, pretending to be dignified and virtuous.
Gongzi Yu then began to speak animatedly about Gongzi Xun. She recounted that on the way there, Gongzi Xun had the most romantic encounters, three in total. The first was with a village girl, the second with a widow, and the third with a nun! As soon as Gongzi Yu finished speaking, everyone burst into laughter. When Hua Wuduo heard that Gongzi Xun's third encounter was with a nun, she couldn't help but burst out laughing, immediately abandoning her previously restrained composure and virtuous demeanor. She laughed loudly, saying that Gongzi Xun wouldn't even spare a nun! She heard that this nun had followed Gongzi Xun for several days and refused to leave, but was eventually scared away by Gongzi Xiu. "How can Gongzi Xiu do anything? He even dares to threaten a nun!" Hua Wuduo couldn't help but laugh again and again.
At that moment, Gongzi Xun slightly raised his eyes and met Hua Wuduo's radiant smile. He couldn't help but raise his wine cup to her, first giving her a meaningful and alluring smile, then lightly touching his lips to the rim of the cup and taking a sip of the wine. His peach blossom eyes, like a bewitching chain, locked onto Hua Wuduo's gaze. Hua Wuduo's heart couldn't help but flutter, and she quickly looked away, thinking to herself: Gongzi Xun does indeed have some of the allure to bewitch nuns...
As they talked, the conversation turned to the upcoming dragon boat race.
Because of the Phoenix Boat Race, Jiangling Prefecture is now a gathering place for beautiful women. Everyone couldn't help but smile when they thought of this, feeling that they would definitely have many romantic encounters in Jiangling.
After several rounds of drinks, the young men began to chat and laugh, their faces beaming with excitement and their enthusiasm running high.
Hua Wuduo urgently needed to use the restroom, so she got up and went downstairs to the toilet. When she returned, she heard a commotion on the second floor. Listening carefully, she heard a man hiccuping and saying incoherently, "Duoduo likes me. It was love at first sight between us!"
Suddenly someone kicked over a stool and retorted indignantly, "Little Duoduo always smiles at me, she must like me!"
Someone snorted and said, "Does Duoduo blush when she looks at me? Would she blush when she looks at you?!" Then, with a whoosh, a folding fan was opened.
"Nonsense!" Someone suddenly slammed their hand on the table and shouted, "When Duoduo saw me injured, her eyes... were filled with tears, watery, full of concern and heartache... The person she likes must be me."
Just then, someone casually said, "Stop dreaming, Duoduo likes me."
"It's me!"
"No, it's me!"
"It's me! Not you!"
"It's me!"
"Yi, who did you say it was?"
...
The second floor was in chaos. Hua Wuduo was downstairs hesitating whether to go upstairs when she suddenly heard someone say beside her, "No wonder you didn't come to see me. It turns out you were busy with blind dates."
ah?
Upon hearing this, Hua Wuduo couldn't help but glance at her sideways. He thought to himself: Does she really have the ability to go on blind dates with five young masters at once?
********************
Hua Wuduo glanced to the side and saw that the person beside him was Li She.
Hua Wuduo smiled and nodded at him, then turned to go upstairs without saying a word, but was stopped by Li She, who asked, "Did you receive my letter?"
Hua Wuduo turned around, surprised, and asked, "What letter?"
Li She's gaze darkened, and he said in a deep voice, "You didn't receive it?"
Hua Wuduo shook his head blankly and said, "No." From the moment he first saw Li She, Hua Wuduo had already decided to say this.
Li She then asked, "What about that basket of pears?"
Hua Wuduo nodded and said, "I received the pears. Thank you, Young Master Li."
Li She smiled and said, "The letter was hidden inside the pear."
Hua Wuduo shook his head and lied through his teeth, saying, "I didn't see any letter inside the pear. I even ate one of the pears; it was quite delicious. Thank you, Young Master Li."
Upon hearing this, Li She smiled and suddenly said, "Don't you ever blush when you lie?"
Hua Wuduo was secretly alarmed. Li She's words clearly had a hidden meaning, and he must already know something. He couldn't help but glance around, then quickly covered his mouth and chuckled, "Young Master Li, you're so naughty." As soon as he finished speaking, goosebumps rose all over Hua Wuduo's body. He shook off Li She's grasp and was about to go upstairs when he suddenly heard Li She laugh, "Tomorrow at noon, outside the west gate of the Prince of Jin's residence, we'll meet there." After saying that, he turned and left without waiting for Hua Wuduo's reaction.
Hua Wuduo frowned deeply as she watched his departing figure. This time, he had personally told her to go, and refusing would seem disrespectful. Her sister was about to marry into the Li family, and they would be family after all. Although he didn't know her true identity, she still had to show him respect. However, she didn't want to get too close to him, leaving her in a dilemma. She was deep in thought as she started to go upstairs. She had only taken two steps when she heard the young master Yi shout from upstairs, "Stop arguing! Since you gentlemen all like my sister, this endless strife won't work. As the eldest brother, I dare to make a request: whoever here can do this, I will decide to betroth my sister to him!"
Hua Wuduo was shocked upon hearing this. How could Young Master Yi so easily betroth his sister to someone else? He stopped in his tracks and listened intently.
Upon hearing this, everyone urged Young Master Yi to quickly state his request.
Gongzi Yi said, "Whoever can promise to have only my sister as his woman for the rest of his life, not to take concubines, and not to have affairs outside the marriage, I will marry my sister to him."
As soon as the words were spoken, the second floor fell completely silent.
Hua Wuduo chuckled to himself, thinking: Young Master Yi has hit their weak spot.
After a long silence, Gongzi Ziyang suddenly spoke hesitantly, "I'm willing to give it a try."
"Oh?" Hua Wuduo raised an eyebrow. "There really are people who aren't afraid of death." Sure enough, at this moment, Gongzi Yi said, "One more thing: those who agree must first sign a life-or-death contract with me, with others acting as witnesses. If this person violates this contract in the future, they will be castrated immediately!"
Young Master Ziyang hurriedly shouted, "I'm not trying!"
Everyone burst into laughter.
Gongzi Qi laughed and said, "Alright, let's not talk about that. We've finally escaped the academy and Master Deng's toad-like gaze. Wouldn't it be a waste if we didn't take advantage of this time to enjoy ourselves? Come on, let's drink! We won't leave until we're drunk tonight!"
"Alright!" Young Master Kuang replied, "Sigh! Speaking of the academy, I just want to sigh. Back when Hua Wuduo was around, whenever there was trouble, we would unanimously nominate him to be the scapegoat. But ever since he left, we have to draw lots in secret every time, and then we have to fight amongst ourselves. It really hurts our friendship. Tell me, how long has it been since we drank together? This time, we're determined to have a good drink."