Inside the Treasure Pavilion, Gu Xingzhao continued to browse through the artifacts, but her peripheral vision kept drifting towards this “young uncle” from the Xu family.
She noticed that he was a very serious man, unlike the playful and reckless Xu Shisan. In front of this young uncle, Xu Shisan behaved like an obedient child, nodding to everything he said, a far cry from the Xu Shisan Gu Xingzhao was familiar with.
Curious, she glanced over at this young uncle again, studying his face. How was it possible that he looked so much like Lu Xingyao?
She even began to wonder—could this actually be Lu Xingyao in disguise?
Sensing that someone was watching him, Xu Zian turned his gaze toward the girl Xu Shisan had brought with him.
The young woman was fair-skinned and well-mannered, clearly different from the girls Xu Shisan usually associated with. But more than that, Xu Zian felt a strange, familiar warmth in her presence.
Caught staring, Gu Xingzhao quickly looked away, pretending to focus on the items in the display case.
Xu Zian shifted his attention back to his mischievous nephew. “She seems like a good girl. Don’t mistreat her.”
He knew Xu Shisan’s playful nature all too well. The girls around him never stuck around for long, and though he seemed to care about this one now, who’s to say he wouldn’t have his eyes on someone else tomorrow?
Xu Shisan immediately raised his hand in a pledge. “Don’t worry, Uncle, I would never mistreat her!”
Only heaven knew how Gu Xingzhao had been keeping him at arm’s length. Forget about mistreating her—he hadn’t even had a chance to get close!
Xu Zian paused, knowing that Xu Shisan never mistreated those girls. In fact, they were usually well-compensated and left happy.
Seeing that his uncle had no further comments, Xu Shisan grinned and sidled up to him. “Uncle, I’d like to have lunch with Ah Zhao. Can you tell Uncle Gui to prepare a few extra dishes?”
Xu Zian frowned slightly. “Do it yourself.”
Xu Shisan waved the drink in his hand. “But I need to keep my girlfriend company. How about you stay here and entertain her while I go?”
Xu Zian stared at him in disbelief, speechless. “…”
His nephew was growing more and more shameless.
After a moment, Xu Zian began to leave the Treasure Pavilion, his gaze sharp as he warned Xu Shisan, “This is the last time.”
Xu Shisan grinned, flashing his signature playful smile.
Once his uncle left, Xu Shisan reverted to his carefree self, running up to Gu Xingzhao. “Our family’s chef is great! Stay for lunch, I already asked them to make a few extra dishes.”
Gu Xingzhao hesitated. “Is your uncle going to be there?”
Xu Shisan nodded. “Yeah.”
Seeing her reluctance, he was ready to use his usual persuasive tactics to convince her to stay.
To his surprise, Gu Xingzhao agreed right away. “Sure, I’ll try your family’s cooking.”
She was still curious about Xu Zian. Two people looking so alike couldn’t just be a coincidence.
Her quick acceptance stunned Xu Shisan. “…?”
He stared at her, puzzled. “Why didn’t you reject me?”
Amused, Gu Xingzhao replied, “Why would I say no to good food?”
A free meal was better than eating out.
Xu Shisan clicked his tongue, suspicious. “You always used to turn me down. Now I’m starting to think you’ve taken a liking to my uncle…”
Gu Xingzhao: “…”
Sometimes, she really wanted to crack open Xu Shisan’s head to see what was going on inside.
Sure, Xu Zian was good-looking, but was she the type to be swayed so easily by appearances?
Heaven help her! She spent her days staring at Lu Xingyao and didn’t feel a thing!
The Xu family’s old residence was quite large, and the dining area was some distance from the Treasure Pavilion.
Just as they arrived at the dining room, Xu Shisan suddenly felt an urgent need to use the restroom. “I’ll be right back. The dining room’s upstairs—you can go ahead. I’ll join you in a minute.”
The dining room was warm compared to the chilly air outside, so Gu Xingzhao removed her heavy coat and held it in her hands as she made her way up the stairs. The entire Xu family residence was in a traditional Chinese style, and she couldn’t help but admire the décor.
However, as she stepped onto the damp steps, her foot slipped. She lost her balance, and just as she was about to fall, a hand shot out from behind and caught her by the shoulder, steadying her.
Her heart raced from the near-fall.
A deep voice sounded behind her, “Careful.”
Startled, Gu Xingzhao turned sharply, her gaze meeting Xu Zian’s dark, piercing eyes. His grip was firm, and even through the thin fabric of her coat, she could feel the warmth of his palm on her shoulder.
It felt as if he had pulled her into his embrace, and her heart pounded even faster as if she had been caught in a pink-hued romantic moment. In her fluster, her coat slipped from her hands, falling silently to the floor.
For a moment, their eyes locked, and time seemed to stand still.
After what felt like an eternity, once Gu Xingzhao had regained her footing, Xu Zian released her, his voice calm. “The stairs are a bit slippery.”
His words snapped her out of her daze, and she quickly suppressed the strange feeling in her chest, adjusting her heartbeat to a more normal rhythm. “Thank you.”
She hurried up the stairs, heart still racing, and mentally confirmed that this Xu Zian definitely wasn’t the lively troublemaker she knew.
Lu Xingyao’s playful personality, always causing chaos with the younger generation, was nothing like Xu Zian’s serious, stern demeanor. Xu Zian was strict and even scolded his younger relatives.
More importantly, last night, Lu Xingyao had hugged her, and her heart had remained calm. But now, with Xu Zian, who exuded an air of restraint and mystery, her heart was racing uncontrollably.
There was no way this was Lu Xingyao!
Behind her, Xu Zian glanced at the coat she had dropped on the stairs. After a moment’s hesitation, he bent down to pick it up, his gaze following the figure who seemed to flee from the scene.
That strange sense of familiarity returned, washing over him once again.
When Gu Xingzhao reached the dining room and sat down, Xu Zian handed her the coat she had dropped. Embarrassed, she thanked him again. “Thank you, Mr. Xu.”
She felt a bit flustered, wishing she could dig a hole in the floor to hide her embarrassment.
Just then, Xu Zian asked, “Miss Gu, have we met before?”
Gu Xingzhao froze. “Why do you ask?”
Xu Zian’s lips pressed into a thin line as he replied in a quiet voice, “Your gaze doesn’t feel like this is our first meeting.”
Gu Xingzhao awkwardly smiled. “It really is the first time we’ve met.”
Facing Xu Zian’s intense gaze, she felt nervous.
Suddenly, Gu Xingzhao found herself missing the goofy, carefree Lu Xingyao from the ancient past.
Sigh—kids were just so much easier to deal with. No pressure at all.
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