Chapter 122: The Blind Date Falls Through

"Liu Feier is going too?" Fubao asked in surprise.

"Yeah, it's all the talk of the town," Miss Chen replied, pouting.

Fubao lowered her head in thought for a moment. "Hmm, I've decided. I'm going too," she said, slapping the table to seal her decision. She turned to the others and added, "Let's go together."

"That sounds great!"

...

That day, Bai Yulan accompanied the elderly Madam Han to the Gong residence. The annual Hundred Flowers Banquet was, to put it plainly, a place for noble ladies and young misses to compose poetry, enjoy the scenery, and exchange pleasantries.

The Chen family was represented by Madam Chen and Miss Chen. Naturally, as soon as they entered, the young Miss Chen and Fubao scurried off together.

In the back garden—

"Cousin, do I look handsome today?" Gong Shaoyu asked, opening his fan and waving it.

Gu Li turned around and was rendered speechless at the sight of his cousin, who was wrapped like a mummy with only his face exposed.

"Cousin, many young ladies are coming today. Are you sure you want to dress like this?"

"Ah! That’s where you don't understand," Gong Shaoyu said, waving his fan with a melancholic air. "Whenever people mention me, they only talk about my handsome face and my charm; no one ever speaks of my talents. Since Mother is arranging blind dates for me, I want to see who would marry me if I weren't so handsome!"

Gu Li asked, "Are you sure about this? If you really wanted to, you could have just covered your face. Why leave it exposed?"

"Ahem, this is called creating a dramatic impression."

"Heh, I doubt even a fool would marry you looking like this."

Just then, footsteps approached, and a young woman appeared around the bend of the garden path.

"Pardon me, are you Young Master Gong? This young lady offers her greetings," she said, appearing quite poised and natural.

However, the "Young Master Gong" she was looking for was the person standing next to her; she had mistaken the wrong person.

Gu Li felt awkward, but Gong Shaoyu shot him a sharp look.

"Indeed, I am Gong Shaoyu. May I ask the young lady's name?"

"I am Liu Feier."

Gong Shaoyu’s eyes lit up instantly. Was this the same young lady from a few days ago?

"So it is Miss Liu. Please, forgive my lack of proper decorum."

"I have heard that Young Master Gong is as handsome as Pan An. Truly, seeing is believing."

"Miss Liu, you are too kind."

...

As the two continued their endless chatter, Gong Shaoyu, standing to the side, gave a soft cough.

"Ahem! Cousin, don't be so playful; your cousin is still right here!" He emphasized the last part heavily. *Are you two having a grand old time? Damn it, that's my girl.*

"Oh! And who might this gentleman be?" Liu Feier asked hesitantly.

"Oh! This is my cousin. He unfortunately suffered an injury, so please excuse his appearance," Gu Li replied.

"It is nothing serious," Gong Shaoyu added.

Silence fell, as neither side knew how to continue the conversation.

"Oh! Isn't this Miss Liu Feier? Aren't you usually busy with your zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting? How do you have time for such a small gathering?" A voice interrupted, and Miss Chen began her offensive.

"So it is Miss Chen. How curious—why aren't you acting as a little sidekick this time?" Liu Feier laughed, covering her mouth. Every time she saw Miss Chen, she was trailing after Lin Cenbao like a little shadow.

"Who are you calling a little sidekick?"

"If the shoe fits, wear it."

"Who are you saying I'm a sidekick to?"

"Do you not know who you are a sidekick to in your own heart?"

As the two ladies looked ready to start a brawl, Gu Li stepped in.

"Ahem, I hope you have been well lately, Miss Chen."

Miss Chen shot a loud "Hmph" at Liu Feier, then turned back to Gu Li with a smile. "Brother Li, have you been well?"

"Naturally, I have been well."

"Wait... Brother Gong, what is this..." Miss Chen said, looking at the sight of Gong Shaoyu, who was wrapped like a mummy yet still insistently fanning himself.

"Brother Li, Brother Gong? Aren't you Young Master Gong?" Liu Feier asked, feeling confused as she heard Miss Chen call Gu Li "Brother Li" and the man wrapped like an invalid "Brother Gong."

"My apologies. Actually, this gentleman is the real Young Master Gong Shaoyu," Gu Li explained.

"You deceived me! This man is so ugly and crippled—how could he be the dashing, handsome eldest son of the Gong family?"

"Oh! Brother Gong, why are you dressed like this?" A female voice chimed in.

"Just a minor accident," Gong Shaoyu said, raising an eyebrow as he looked at Fubao, who was dressed in men's clothing.

"Oh."

"Since Miss Liu is here to see my cousin, I shall take my leave," Gu Li said, turning and walking away.

"Hello, Miss Liu, I am Gong Shaoyu, and I am—"

"Excuse me, Young Master Gong, but I am feeling unwell. I shall take my leave," Liu Feier said, cutting him off and turning away without a hint of hesitation.

Gong Shaoyu: "..." *Heh.*

"Aiya! It seems Miss Liu mistook the wrong person! Young Master Gong, your blind date was a failure," Miss Chen teased.

To everyone's surprise, Gong Shaoyu didn't care at all. "Sigh! The world is like this; it truly chills one's heart."

"Let's go. Maybe we'll find someone else," Gong Shaoyu said, snapping his fan shut and signaling his servant to carry him away.

Miss Chen thought: *If you're wrapped up like that, it'd be a miracle if any girl paid attention to you.*

"So bored, so bored! This is dull!" Fubao grumbled.

"Same here. Let's head to the front courtyard. All the young ladies from the academy will be there."

"Yes, let's!"

Liu Feier hurried back to the front courtyard and whispered to her mother.

"Mother, I want to go home."

"Why?" Madam Liu asked in surprise, thinking she had been quite taken with this family.

"Mother, let me tell you..." Liu Feier whispered something into Madam Liu's ear.

"What? Is that true?"

"Yes."

"That was quite underhanded of them! Let's leave."

Madam Liu found an excuse and slipped away with Liu Feier.

Naturally, by the next day, rumors were flying that while the young master of the Gong family was remarkably handsome, he was "incapable." As to what kind of "incapable," people pointed out that he was a cripple who had to be carried around—if he was like that, could he really be "capable"?

Gong Shaoyu: *Damn it, who said that?*

Gu Xiaoha never expected her son to come up with such a scheme. Now, no family would want to marry their daughter into the Gong house. That very evening, Gong Shaoyu was beaten by his father and confined for a month, with the threat that if he dared to come out, his legs would be broken.

That night, Gu Yun delivered a letter to Gu Li. It was from Fubao. Ever since he had arrived in the capital, letters from her were always sent here.

It was just more trivial talk about what she had done that day; the girl loved writing to him. He opened another letter from the Meng residence, sent by his grandfather, grandmother, and aunt.

Reading these letters, Gu Li felt a twinge of homesickness, so he picked up his brush to write back.

At the Bai residence—

"Mistress, I don't understand. Since she recovered her memories all those years ago, why must she..." a maid asked the woman who was reading by the desk.

"Ah! Once a fairy steps into the mortal world, it is not so easy to leave," the woman in white replied with a light laugh.

"Then when will we be able to return to Mount Dabie?"

"When she is willing to go back, we shall leave."

"Ah! How long will that take?"

"Not long. A few decades, perhaps."

"Oh..."

...

Gu Li noticed a problem: over the past two days, Miss Liu had been visiting the men's academy quite frequently, and they seemed to have "chance encounters" everywhere.

"Cousin, how should I put this? She has her eyes on you," Gong Shaoyu said sarcastically.

Gu Li: "..." *This man!*

"Cousin, stop joking."

"Heh! Well, your cousin here finally has some peace and quiet," Gong Shaoyu said, stretching his arms.

Gu Li thought: *His heart doesn't match his words.*

"Look! She's coming with a food box," Gong Shaoyu said, looking out the window and seeing a woman in green robes approaching from afar, carrying a food container.

"Miss Liu is here to bring food again," a colleague remarked with a grin.