Gu Qiaoqiao hesitated for a moment, then said, "Shang Qing, you donât need to worry too much. To Dongfang Yu, those two items youâre holding are just like pebbles by the river. When you go on a trip, you should bring back some gifts, right? Your family might not like the specialties from the Great Northwest, but Iâm sure your grandfather will like these two things. Youâll have something to report back with."
"But I..." Shang Qing was still hesitating. Gu Qiaoqiao grew impatient, stood up, and said, "Shang Qing, why do you hesitate when you shouldnât, and hesitate blindly when you shouldnât? Alright, donât overthink it. Just take them with you. Itâs getting late; we should be on our way."
Shang Qing believed that what Gu Qiaoqiao said was right. Since Qiaoqiao said it was okay to take them, she suddenly felt relieved. So, she happily clasped her hands together, grasped the two items, and finally placed them in her shoulder bag, smiling at Dongfang Yu, "Brother Dongfang, thank you."
This was what Dongfang Yu had hoped for as well; he wanted Shang Qing to happily accept the gifts he gave. However, if it required Gu Qiaoqiaoâs persuasion, it left a sour taste in his mouth. But his thoughts were deep, and the two girls in front of him couldnât tell. He maintained a gentle smile on his face and softly said, "I should be thanking you. If it werenât for you, Iâd still be lying there like a dead body."
"Actually, I didnât do much. The most I did was cook porridge and boil water for you."
"Thatâs already quite rare..." Dongfang Yu said with emotion.
Gu Qiaoqiao quietly rolled her eyes and said with a smirk, "Shang Qing, are you throwing an eighteen-mile farewell? If you donât go, Iâll leave first."
She really didnât have time to dawdle; she had to go to Yubao Square and the Jade Carving Workshop later.
The gemstones shipped from Xinjiang had arrived, and she needed to check the quality of this batch.
Shang Qingâs face suddenly flushed. She quickly slung her bag over her shoulder, grabbed her travel bag, and said to Dongfang Yu, "Brother Dongfang, remember what I just told you. Iâll come to see you when I have a break."
During the first few days of school, she definitely couldnât come. If she did, it would be on a Sunday.
Dongfang Yu nodded, smiled slightly at the two girls, but thought to himself that Shang Qing should stay away from Gu Qiaoqiao in the future because she was too influenced by her.
Gu Qiaoqiao left Dongfang Yuâs apartment with Shang Qing. The two stood at the entrance of the community, watching the bustling crowd and the passing vehicles. Gu Qiaoqiao said, "I remember thereâs a specialty store nearby. Do you want to buy some things from the Great Northwest?"
Shang Qing shook her head, "No need. My family knows my habits. I donât like bringing back specialties when I travel. These two items are enough."
Gu Qiaoqiao nodded, "Thatâs true. These two things are worth a train full of specialties."
The two had different directions to go home.
Gu Qiaoqiao needed to go to Yubao Square, and Shang Qing naturally had to return to the Shang Family. The two were about to bid farewell when Shang Qing suddenly remembered something. She quickly grabbed Gu Qiaoqiao and urgently asked, "Qiaoqiao, how should I explain these two items to my grandfather? I canât say I bought them at a stall."
"How much money did you take with you when you left home?" Gu Qiaoqiao asked.
"I took three thousand yuan." Shang Qing said casually, "but I havenât spent a dime."
"Whereâs the money then?" Gu Qiaoqiao quickly asked. She had indeed overlooked an important matter. How could Shang Qing not have spent any money while traveling?
Shang Qing pointed to the travel bag at her feet, "Itâs here."
Gu Qiaoqiao smirked. Indeed, she was a rich familyâs child, casually putting money in a travel bag. Nowadays, three thousand yuan was a fortune, equivalent to several yearsâ salary for some families.
Gu Qiaoqiao thought for a moment and quietly said, "Leave the money with me for safekeeping, otherwise, how will you explain to your family why you didnât spend any money?"
Shang Qing suddenly understood, "Yes, I have always been reckless with money. My family will definitely be suspicious."
Saying this, she quickly unzipped the suitcase to get the money. Gu Qiaoqiao glanced around but didnât stop Shang Qing. Instead, she silently drew a Barrier Talisman behind her back to isolate this area, most importantly blocking othersâ view of the suitcase.
Then Shang Qing took out the three thousand yuan.
The money was placed in a paper bag, bulging. Gu Qiaoqiao took it and put it in her shoulder bag, telling Shang Qing, "Just remember, I have your three thousand yuan here."
Shang Qing casually said, "Keep it with you; I wonât need it. By the way, how should I tell my family how I got these two items?"
Gu Qiaoqiao thought for a moment, then slowly said, "Just say you went to a market, saw someone selling things at a stall, and thought these two items were fun, so you spent one thousand yuan to buy them. They looked dirty at first, but after wiping them, they shone like gold. The rest of your money was naturally spent on food, drinks, and other expenses."
"Where exactly was this place?"
Gu Qiaoqiao rolled her eyes at her, "Youâre a university student, youâre good at geography, find a location yourself."
"Got it." Shang Qing obediently nodded, then smiled and said to Gu Qiaoqiao, "Qiaoqiao, Iâll come to see you in a few days."
"Didnât you say youâll be visiting your Brother Dongfang in a few days during your break?"
One would expect Shang Qingâs face to turn red, but surprisingly, she said openly, "These are two separate things and wonât clash."
Gu Qiaoqiao pinched Shang Qingâs cheek, "Make sure you get home at the estimated time and donât slip up."
At this time, Gu Qiaoqiao felt like she was teaching a child to misbehave.
But what could she do at this point?
Girls really wonât listen to their mothers when they grow up.
After the two parted ways, Gu Qiaoqiao watched Shang Qing get into a car before she hailed a taxi to rush to Yubao Square.
She hadnât been to Yubao Square for several days.
The Old Patriarch was the same. Ever since Gu Zhixing followed Gu Qiaoqiao to the Imperial Capital, he had been staying home with his Great Grandma.
When they first returned, the most shocked was naturally Lian Yuhong, and Gu Tianfeng hadnât come home yet.
Itâs believed that heâll be as shocked as Lian Yuhong when he gets home.
Even though Lian Yuhong had already heard over the phone that Gu Zhixing resembled her late father-in-law and that Gu Qianqian described it vividly, no matter how it was described, it couldnât match seeing it with her own eyes.
When Lian Yuhong saw Gu Zhixing, she was a little stunned. She even thought her father-in-law had come back to life and was quite startled.