Eighteen Encounters

  Gu Man's dwelling, Mingyue Building, is located in the northeast corner of the garden next to the second courtyard. At night, there are usually sturdy women guarding the door and ear house.

  At this moment, she took Pei Yin and Pei Qin into the garden. With a slight lift of her head, she could see her own two-story small building hidden among the layered tree shades, looking beautiful and serene.

  For some reason, she suddenly felt her heart filled to the brim, and the anger and resentment she had just seen in Gu Chengyu were easily suppressed. Her heart was only filled with gratitude. No matter how many disasters and hardships there were in the past life, they were all things of the past after all. Heaven had given herself a chance to start again.

  Things she couldn't keep in the past, this lifetime she must hold on to tightly, no one can take them away.

  Walking along the path paved with square bricks, the Mingyuelou hidden under the pagoda trees is just ahead. Pei Yin saw that Gu Man had not spoken a word all along and thought she was still sad about the old lady, so she wanted to cheer her up. Pointing at the plum blossoms in full bloom in front of her, she smiled: "Miss, you've been wanting to collect the snow water from these plum blossoms to store for next year's drinking. Now that they're blooming just right, why don't we take advantage of the good weather and collect some dew? It's the same thing."

  Gu Man followed her hand and looked over, and indeed saw that the plum blossom trees in front of them had all bloomed. In this pure white garden, they seemed even more vibrant. She was just about to speak when she saw a little girl with a big red feathered cloak and a hat with rabbit fur edges on her head emerging from under a nearby plum blossom tree.

  At this time, the wind was strong, and the little girl's cloak fluttered in the wind, her whole person as slender and agile as a plum blossom on a branch, making people's eyes wide with wonder.

  Before long, two maidservants, about the same age as her, hastily came running from behind the young girl, still calling out: "Eleventh Miss, be careful with your steps, what if you trip and fall?"

  Gu Man was struck dumb for a moment, unable to utter a word for half a beat. That familiar laughter, she would never forget in her lifetime. It was Gu Yan, it was Gu Shi Yi, the sister who had taken everything from her in her past life!

  The little girl slowly turned around, and on her snow-white face hung two deep dimples, when she smiled, her eyes curved into a crescent shape, very lovely. Although young in age and still early in development, it could already be seen that she would become a beautiful woman with a elegant appearance in the future.

  At this moment, she was holding a crystal plum vase with a blooming plum flower on top. When she saw Gu Man standing not far away with Pei Qin and Pei Yin looking at her, she hastily handed the vase to Ru Hua beside her and walked slowly to Gu Man's side to pay her respects.

  She was polite and courteous, with a modest and respectful expression on her face, so that no one could find any fault with her.

  At such a young age, she already has such thoughts. Gu Man was very skeptical about how Gu Yan's cautious and careful temperament was cultivated. After all, although the Hou Mansion had undercurrents, the second house had been smooth sailing in the previous life. Wang Shi may not have liked the illegitimate children, but she never scolded them harshly.

  Is it really possible for a child of less than eight years old to imagine himself in a place where the winds are like knives and the snow is like swords, with dangers closing in on him from all sides, and yet have to be so cautious, so humble and reserved in order to protect himself?

  She didn't believe it. Let alone that Gu Yan was only eight years old, even if it were someone as despicable and mature for his age like Gu Chengyu, he wouldn't be able to be so considerate and respectful of himself.

  The more she restrained herself, the clearer the ruthless and heartless expression she showed in her previous life appeared in Gu Man's mind. She furrowed her brow and took a deep breath to cover up the disgust in her eyes.

  Anything that betrays is not worth mentioning, and any influence on emotions is considered one's own incompetence.

  For Gu Yan, she is not a sister to herself, but an enemy. Now, at a time when she cannot openly take revenge, she can only endure silently.

  Days are still long, she will always have the opportunity to make her understand what it means to be worse off than dead.

  "Get up! In this cold and snowy weather, how did you get into the garden by yourself? Don't your nurse and the others take care of you?" She took a step back, avoiding Gu Yan's outstretched hand, and turned her head as if she hadn't seen the flicker of doubt in his eyes.

  Gu Yan's outstretched hand stopped in mid-air, feeling a bit awkward for a moment, and his face showed a hint of grievance. He said timidly: "I heard that sister has recovered from her illness today, and the plum blossoms in the garden are blooming just right, so I was thinking of picking some plum blossoms to send to sister's room to put in a vase."

  It's like this again, no matter what I do or say, she always looks so careful and cautious, as if I've bullied her.

  "You're being careful." Gu Man glanced at the plum blossoms in Er Hua and Chu Qin's hands, furrowed her brow and said: "I remember that it was Ma Niang who took care of the flowers and plants in this garden? The other day she sent someone to my room, saying that there were fewer flowers blooming this year than in previous years, and it was harder to take care of them. She also wanted us to prepare for Old Lady's plum blossom banquet next month, and told us not to pick any, even the servant girls from the upper rooms knew about it, and no one is allowed to enter easily, so how did you two get in?"

  Gu Yan didn't expect her to ask such a question, and for a moment she was stunned on the spot. Who doesn't know that Ma Niang is her own mother? And who doesn't know that this eleventh daughter of hers, born out of wedlock, is the apple of Er Lao Ye Gu Bo Qi's eye? How could those servants dare to block her way?

  Chu Qin saw that her master was in a difficult situation, so she quickly helped to interject: "Ninth sister, please forgive us. Our young lady originally came because the plum blossoms were blooming beautifully, and Madame just asked our young lady to invite you to go to the main house together. After entering this garden, our young lady thought that you liked plum blossoms, so she wanted to pick some for you to put in your room as decorations, also to make you happy."

  She really spoke, Gu Man subconsciously glanced at her, she remembered that in her previous life's memory, there were no two maids called Chu Qin and Ru Hua. At the age of eleven, Gu Yan's maid had already been replaced by Yun Caiyun Xiang. Such a capable maid could also be replaced, what kind of earth-shattering event must have occurred to make Gu Yan cut off her own arm?

  She was puzzled in her heart, but didn't say it out loud. She just turned cold and looked at them with a cold smile: "So it seems that I'm the one who's wrong, disappointing your good intentions. Since you put it this way, forget it. If something goes wrong at the plum blossom banquet tomorrow, I only hope that Madam Ma won't come asking me about it. If she does, I won't cooperate." As she spoke, she didn't even wait for Gu Yan to respond, and turned around to leave with Pei Yin and Pei Qin.

  Gu Man is the legitimate daughter and also has her maternal grandfather's favor, usually at home even her father Gu Bo Qi doesn't dare to scold her much, she has a big temper, so although Chu Qin and Ru Hua are difficult to get along with, they don't think there's anything wrong.

  But in her heart, a few doubts crept up. She always felt that there was something different about Gu Man, but when she tried to say it out loud, she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was. After all, an eight-year-old girl shouldn't have such deep thoughts, should she?

  I just wanted to pick some plum blossoms and give them to her as a favor, but she had to take the opportunity to humiliate me again, this is the privilege of being the eldest daughter.

  Gu Man is a legitimate daughter, born with the pride of being able to command others in front of her.

  She curled up a sneer at the corner of her mouth. Gu Man, you can be proud for now, let's see how long you can keep being proud!