Chapter 4: Engagement

The fat bailiff clearly had no fondness for the sickly youth, retreating two steps in disgust for fear of catching a cold.

"Hurry along..." He raised a hand to signal them to leave, but no sooner had the words left his mouth than a commotion broke out to his rear right, accompanied by the sound of chaotic hoofbeats.

"How insolent! A mere few bailiffs dare to block our Young Master's path!!" a sharp male voice scolded impatiently.

The bailiffs present and the surrounding townspeople heard this and couldn't help but look toward the source of the noise.

Not far away, several bailiffs had stopped a group of men about to leave the city. At their head was a handsome youth of sixteen or seventeen in blue robes, dressed in fine silks and mounted on a spirited horse, looking exceptionally distinguished.

Behind the blue-robed youth followed four or five attendants. Their tall steeds were neighing and pacing, snorting thick puffs of air from their nostrils.

The square-faced youth who had spoken earlier continued to clamor at the bailiffs: "Do you know who our Young Master is? We are from the Duke of England’s mansion—"

"Jiang He!" the blue-robed youth gave a light, displeased reprimand, his thin lips pressed tight.

The square-faced youth immediately fell silent, only then remembering that they were not supposed to draw attention to themselves on this trip.

The commotion on their side was too great, attracting too many eyes, and Juanbi in the carriage was among them.

Juanbi looked at the blue-robed youth, stunned at first, then her expression turned nervous. She lowered her voice and said to Gu Yanfei, "Miss, that is Heir Fang of the Duke of England’s mansion."

The Gu and Fang families were old family friends, and Heir Fang often visited the Marquis’s mansion. Juanbi had seen him from afar several times while in the capital.

Gu Yanfei had, of course, seen him too. Her gaze was calm and profound, her right hand hidden in her sleeve clenching unconsciously.

That face, which had long since blurred over the course of two hundred years, became clear once more in this moment.

The Heir to the Duke of England, Fang Mingfeng.

Gu Yanfei had known they would meet again, but she had expected to see him in the capital as she had in her past life, not here.

So, in order to take her life, he had actually traveled all the way to Danyang City himself!

In her past life, after discovering she hadn't died in Danyang City, Fang Mingfeng had not let the matter rest. He was like a venomous snake lurking in a dark corner, waiting for an opportunity to strike at any moment.

In an instant, inner demons spread like wildfire in Gu Yanfei’s heart, and a bone-chilling coldness seeped into her eyes.

Her right hand gripped tightly inside her sleeve, her nails digging into her soft palm. Memories that had once been etched into her soul came flooding back, flashing through her mind like a revolving lantern.

"Miss Gu, do you recognize this Heir Fang?" Young Master Chu twirled the white porcelain teacup in his hand, a gentle smile on his face.

"Heir?!" Xiaoshi outside the carriage raised his voice in surprise.

At his shout, the head bailiff and the fat bailiff nearby heard him as well. Their expressions changed, and they looked at Fang Mingfeng with fear and trepidation.

So this noble youth was not just from the Duke of England’s mansion, but the honorable Heir himself!

The bailiffs retreated silently, then retreated further, keeping well out of the way.

Fang Mingfeng’s party also noticed the commotion by the carriage and looked over in unison.

When they saw Gu Yanfei in the carriage, their expressions all changed. A storm surged in their eyes—shock, horror, suspicion, and contempt all mingled together.

The look in their eyes, as if they had seen a ghost, practically screamed: The Second Miss Gu is actually still alive!

Immediately, they noticed the strange young man in white inside the carriage.

The youth was handsome and refined, the maiden exceptionally beautiful and clear. Looking at them, both were like dragons and phoenixes among men. At this moment, sitting across from each other with a chessboard between them, they looked like old friends of many years, the atmosphere harmonious.

The attendants all frowned, feeling that this Second Miss Gu, who had grown up in the countryside, was truly shameless. An unmarried girl actually sharing a carriage with a man?!

This Second Miss Gu was simply unworthy of their Heir!

Fang Mingfeng kept a cold face, looking down from his horse at Gu Yanfei in the carriage, his eyes darkening.

After the initial shock, surprise turned to anger, and a fire burned in his chest.

Fang Mingfeng urged his horse forward, his posture as straight as bamboo, a polite smile on his handsome face—haughty, proud, and distant.

"Greetings." Fang Mingfeng gripped his reins and bowed elegantly to Gu Yanfei. "Does this young lady happen to know me..."

He was the Heir to a Duke’s mansion, pampered and spoiled, naturally carrying the arrogance of a favored son of heaven.

"Fang Mingfeng!"

A calm, indifferent female voice interrupted him. Gu Yanfei’s emotions had already settled.

"..." Fang Mingfeng looked at her, stunned, his eyes growing even darker.

No one had ever dared to interrupt him like this before.

Gu Yanfei did not care at all about Fang Mingfeng’s reaction. Her eyes were clear as she continued, "A person like you is someone I do not fancy."

"Our engagement ends here."

The final sentence was shocking, yet Gu Yanfei spoke it with such calm, as if she were merely mentioning a trivial matter.

The maiden in the bloom of youth was breathtakingly beautiful, like the moon amidst the clouds, her temperament noble and elegant.

The surroundings fell into a deathly silence.

A glimmer flashed in the depths of Young Master Chu’s eyes, and he gently rubbed his ring finger against the side of his cup.

The head bailiff nearby was so shocked his jaw nearly dropped, his gaze darting back and forth between Gu Yanfei, Young Master Chu, and Fang Mingfeng.

The bailiffs were all shrewd men, exchanging meaningful glances with great interest.

"..." Fang Mingfeng was speechless, his thin lips pressed into a straight line. For a moment, his complexion shifted through a spectacular array of colors—green, purple, red, and black.

He certainly didn't fancy this vulgar, rude, and eccentric wild girl before him; compared to his Rong'er, she was like heaven and earth.

But how dare she not fancy him, and what right did she have to speak to him in such a manner!

Fang Mingfeng had been a favored son of heaven since childhood; he had never suffered such humiliation in his life!

His face sank, and he felt a burning sensation on his cheeks.

"Young Master Chu, let us enter the city."

Gu Yanfei did not look at Fang Mingfeng again. Her gaze on Young Master Chu held a depth that suggested she saw through everything without needing to say it, as if she could see right through him.

"Of course." Young Master Chu’s voice was as gentle as water, his lips maintaining a soft curve. He instructed the driver, "Sihai, let’s go."

Sihai, the driver, acknowledged the order and flicked his whip. The bailiffs hurriedly cleared a path.

The surrounding bailiffs and passersby looked at Fang Mingfeng with strange expressions, their eyes filled with sympathy and sighs.

So what if he was the honorable Heir to a Duke’s mansion? He had still been dumped in public!

Xiaoshi quickly and deftly closed the carriage door, shutting out the prying eyes of the onlookers.

The carriage moved toward the city, leaving Fang Mingfeng and his party frozen in place.