The next day, Gu Xuan woke up early to see Ye Lingling off with Dugu Yan. As she left Heaven Dou City, Ye Lingling boarded her family's carriage.
Although the Ye Family lived in seclusion, because Ye Lingling was a student in Heaven Dou City, a Soul Emperor had been stationed there consistently. For this return trip, that Soul Emperor would be the one driving the carriage for her.
It was only seven o'clock when Ye Lingling departed. After Gu Xuan and Dugu Yan finished their breakfast, they rented a carriage and headed slowly toward East Lake.
Inside the carriage, Gu Xuan and Dugu Yan sat side-by-side. Dugu Yan's face was slightly flushed as she stared absentmindedly at the scenery outside the window. Her small hands were unconsciously clutching the corners of her clothes, not daring to look at Gu Xuan.
Gu Xuan naturally saw her small movements. He shook his head with a silent, bitter smile, but maintained a warm, gentle expression on the surface.
"Sister Yan, why are you so nervous?" Gu Xuan couldn't help but tease.
Dugu Yan's body trembled slightly at his words. She didn't turn to look at him, but said to herself. "Nervous? Am I nervous? I'm excited. Right now is when East Lake is at its most beautiful. It's been so long since I've been there, I'm truly looking forward to it."
Gu Xuan didn't expose her. He shifted his weight, leaning slightly closer to Dugu Yan. Dugu Yan's nerves tightened instantly; her fair hands gripped her clothes so hard that her knuckles turned white.
"What are you doing?!" Dugu Yan suddenly turned around, glaring at Gu Xuan with a hint of wariness.
Gu Xuan didn't dodge her gaze. He looked into her eyes and spoke softly. "It's cold..."
Dugu Yan felt like rolling her eyes to the back of her head. 'It was June—you're telling me it's cold? Have you no respect for the scorching summer heat?' She turned her head away and stopped looking at him, but she didn't say anything more to push him away.
Gu Xuan didn't push his luck further. He simply sat there beside her, catching the faint, unique scent of the girl's fragrance as his thoughts drifted elsewhere.
Noticing that Gu Xuan had zoned out, Dugu Yan wanted to slap him. This brat was exactly the type who wouldn't take the lead but wouldn't back down either—it was driving her crazy! Dugu Yan was shy, but she had a wild side too. However, it wasn't exactly possible for a girl like her to make the first move, was it?
'The carriage is such a small space; couldn't you "accidentally" brush against me or something while it bumps along? You're a boy, why are you acting all deep and contemplative now? Where was this act when you were teasing me before?'
Because Gu Xuan wasn't making any more moves, Dugu Yan began playing out an entire drama in her head. Sometimes girls are like that; they're afraid you'll cross the line, but they're also afraid you won't come near it.
By the time they reached East Lake at ten o'clock, Gu Xuan hadn't made a single additional move. Dugu Yan had been waiting in anticipation for nothing, and she was now filled with a sense of resentment toward him. 'You couldn't even seize such a perfect opportunity? Where did all that smooth talk from before go?'
To her surprise, however, after they stepped off the carriage, Gu Xuan naturally reached out and took her fair hand. This caught Dugu Yan off guard, bringing a mix of pleasant surprise and shyness.
But when she remembered how he had acted like a "dead fish" in the carriage, she felt a sudden surge of annoyance and tried to pull her hand away from his large grasp.
As she pulled, she found that her hand was firmly clamped by Gu Xuan, and she couldn't break free. Sensing her movement, Gu Xuan used his other hand to gently pat the back of her hand and whispered. "There are many people here, I'm afraid you'll get lost."
Hearing this, Dugu Yan complained internally. 'You're the one who'll get lost! Your whole family will get lost!'
Still, she stopped trying to pull away. Gu Xuan's voice had been truly tender when he spoke. Just like that, being led by him, the two entered East Lake through the main gate.
One had to admit, there were truly many people here, and everyone looked radiant. Almost no commoners came here; those present were mostly high-ranking officials, nobles, wealthy merchants, or soul masters.
The entrance fee alone was ten gold Soul Coins. A commoner wouldn't spend ten gold Soul Coins just to look at the scenery, and that didn't even count the food, lodging, and entertainment costs for the three days.
While there were many people, it wasn't as crowded as one might imagine. East Lake was massive, enough to hold tens of thousands of people, but there were only a few thousand here now, making it feel quite spacious.
Gu Xuan led Dugu Yan along, admiring the beautiful scenery while chatting about everyday things. Thanks to Gu Xuan's initiative, Dugu Yan's previous unhappiness vanished, and her eyes held only him.
The two enjoyed themselves until the evening. The summer sunset was breathtakingly beautiful. Currently, Gu Xuan and Dugu Yan sat alone in a gazebo, drinking fruit tea and watching the sun go down—an infinitely beautiful moment. Many of these small gazebos were specifically prepared for couples in the middle of a passionate romance, which was quite a thoughtful touch.
Because of Gu Xuan's proactive presence, Dugu Yan was now leaning close to him, feeling the hard muscles of his chest and abdomen and the masculine strength he radiated.
When the sunset reflected onto their faces, Dugu Yan was momentarily blinded by the light and couldn't open her eyes. Gu Xuan seized this moment to pull a bouquet of roses from his soul tool—ninety-nine in total.
When Dugu Yan opened her eyes again, she caught a whiff of floral fragrance and saw the ninety-nine roses before her. Her heart skipped a beat. As a girl, she was sensitive to these things; seeing this, she already had a faint guess in her heart.
Gu Xuan spoke softly in front of her. "The reason I didn't speak in the carriage was that I was thinking about how to express my feelings to you. But after thinking the whole way, I couldn't find the perfect words."
Dugu Yan stared blankly, moving her gaze from the roses to Gu Xuan's face. Looking at that handsome, smiling face, her mouth opened, but no words came out; she just stared at him.
Gu Xuan continued. "I thought about it all day. I feel that if I truly like you, and you like me back, then the formality isn't that important. As long as I can make you understand my feelings, I think that's enough."
"So, Yanzi, I like you. I, Gu Xuan, like Dugu Yan. If you like me too, please accept these flowers and be my girlfriend. I will cherish you, protect you, and be the one you can rely on."
"If you don't..."
Before Gu Xuan could finish, Dugu Yan's eyes were already moist. She threw herself directly into his arms. Over the past month, the happiness Gu Xuan had brought her was something she hadn't experienced in years. While Yu Tianheng had helped her through a lonely period, she realized that Gu Xuan was the man who could truly enter her heart.
Facing Gu Xuan's affectionate confession, she could no longer hold back.
"I'm willing..." Dugu Yan murmured into his ear.
After hugging for an unknown amount of time, the two gradually separated. As the final rays of the setting sun fell, their eyes met. Dugu Yan silently closed her eyes. Looking at her tempting red lips, Gu Xuan slowly lowered his head.
In that final moment where red and yellow blended together, two pairs of lips met, becoming the most beautiful sight at East Lake—though sadly, there was no one to admire it.
Well, no! There was someone. Not far away, Xue Qinghe stood with a teacup, staring at the scene in a daze. Her mouth couldn't help but twitch, looking at the sight in disbelief.
She remembered Gu Xuan was only twelve, right? Although his enrollment age was a forgery, Xue Qinghe had known him for a long time. And the kid had only been in school for a month, right? Is the progress really this fast?
No wonder when she invited him to East Lake yesterday, he declined, saying he was busy. So this is what he was busy with?
Xue Qinghe felt as though she had lost something, but it wasn't a very strong feeling. Perhaps her "stinky little brother" had found a girlfriend,ight and she was happy for him. She didn't think there was any such possibility between her and Gu Xuan in the future. Even if Gu Xuan's appearance had indirectly filled a void of emotion and joy from her childhood, she had viewed him as a younger brother from the start. After all, who would fall for a little brat?
Shaking her head slightly, Xue Qinghe left. Seeing that scene, her original mood for enjoying the night view had vanished.
(End of Chapter)
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