Chapter 311: We just need to trust her

Jiang Mingyuan bowed his hands in salute to An Qinghe.

An Qinghe rose proudly, "You kid, thanks to your good eyesight, you managed to befriend someone like me and Xixi."

Jiang Mingyuan asked, "Then are we already friends?"

An Qinghe glared at him, "When have we ever not been friends?"

The two laughed heartily, and in unison lifted their teacups, drinking tea instead of wine.

Looking at Lv Jing, then this, then that, she was so moved she didn't know what to say.

She suddenly stood up, "I toast to everyone!!"

Lv Jing tilted her head back and drank the tea in one gulp; when she set down the cup, her eyes held only determination, and she smiled at everyone.

From now on, she will no longer feel anxious about owing everyone.

Having decided to fight with her life, what else is there to fear?

As for the great kindness that is hard to repay, she only needs to remember it and repay it with her body for the rest of her life.

If she declines again, it would be hypocritical, disappointing these friends' wholehearted enthusiasm.

Earlier, An Qinghe brought up the matter of changing forms of address; Gu Xixi thought for a moment and said to Lv Jing:

"You said you were born when the blazing sun hung high in the sky, and your name is related to that."

"From now on, let's call you Little Sun, how about that?"

Lv Jing's beautiful eyes lit up, "Little Sun? That sounds nice, I like it!"

She wants to be like a little sun, warming those around her so they no longer have to worry about her.

Jiang Mingyuan and An Qinghe also smiled and nodded in agreement.

As for the others' names, there's no need to hide them, except……

All three looked toward An Qinghe.

Lv Jing said, "An elder brother's traits are somewhat different, making him stand out."

"Moreover, he is too handsome, making people inevitably want to glance again, leaving a deep impression."

An Qinghe felt a bit upset hearing he was different from everyone, but hearing Lv Jing praise his looks made him happy again.

"I feel the same way, Little Sun—you just love speaking the truth!"

"How does that saying go? Natural beauty is hard to give up."

"Otherwise I'd just wear a headscarf or hood to cover my head and face, so as not to attract attention."

Gu Xixi hid her face behind her rice bowl and chuckled; this guy is really narcissistic.

Jiang Mingyuan said, "Brother An, 'natural beauty' is usually used to describe women."

An Qinghe might be used to being corrected by He Jinglan, and doesn't mind.

"It doesn't matter, as long as you understand what I mean!"

Three days later, Great Enterprise Capital.

The carriage traveled down a straight, wide boulevard.

Within the capital, there had been no war; moreover, being close to Dongshi, the scenery along the way was very prosperous.

Shops of all sizes lined the streets; the cries of vendors and performers never ceased, and from time to time one could see merchant caravans heading to the capital from all over.

Within the city, horseback riding was forbidden, so An Qinghe could only slow down and proceed slowly.

That worked out just fine.

From the moment they entered the city, Gu Xixi pressed her face to the carriage window to look out, her eyes barely able to take it all in.

So this is the capital of Great Enterprise—this is the prosperity of ancient times!

Seeing a Hu merchant caravan pass by, Gu Xixi laughed and said to those ahead, "There are camels!"

"An Qinghe, give them a shout—just in case those camels are from your hometown, they might know you!"

An Qinghe turned his head, "Why won't you let me greet people?"

"Insisting I greet the camels—are you equating me with them in your heart?"

Gu Xixi's gaze drifted out the window, changing the subject, "What a huge tea shop—no wonder it's the capital."

Lv Jing leaned in behind Gu Xixi to look together, "Oh, so this is a camel—it's huge!"

"A tea shop? Where, where? I don't even know if they have my family's tea leaves..."

Since traveling with Gu Xixi, Lv Jing has witnessed many things she had never seen before in her life.

She truly felt for the first time that the world is not her family's tea plantation, nor An Ning Village.

It's a pity that she now feels unworthy to truly appreciate all of this.

The most extravagant places of pleasure in the capital are mostly concentrated in Dongshi.

Tea houses and restaurants are plentiful; the places Gu Xixi wants to visit include these.

Everyone was entering the capital for the first time; An Qinghe had the most experience traveling far from home, with Gu Xixi second.

Thus the two decided not to enter Dongshi first, but to find a relatively affordable inn outside to stay in.

An Qinghe drove the carriage, walking and looking, finally turning off the main street into a relatively quiet side road.

There is an inn here, its frontage quite large, with a tall mourning flag that can be seen from afar.

An Qinghe and Jiang Mingyuan first went into the shop to have a look.

The lobby is spacious, with clean and tidy tables, chairs, and counters; there are three floors total, with a rear courtyard (Houyuan) and a kitchen for meals and hot water.

Guests came and went from time to time, greeting the owner and staff.

It was a normal inn.

An Qinghe glanced at the water sign on the wall and decided this was the place.

He still had the owner open two guest rooms and also prepared hot water and simple food.

Time had already passed noon; after An Qinghe and Jiang Mingyuan had settled everything and walked out, they saw Gu Xixi pacing beside the carriage.

An Qinghe glanced inside the carriage, saw it was empty, and casually asked, "Where is Xiao Taiyang?"

Gu Xixi said, "Oh, she said you still haven't come out, go in and take a look."

Jiang Mingyuan said, "But we've been in the main hall the whole time and haven't seen her."

Gu Xixi and An Qinghe looked at each other, both startled in unison.

An Qinghe exclaimed in shock, "Xiao Taiyang probably didn't just leave without saying goodbye, did she?"

Gu Xixi said, "She got off the carriage first, holding her bundle. I didn't expect her to leave; I thought she was just going to settle in first, so I didn't notice her……"

She and Lv Jing had been eating, sleeping, and riding together these past days, inseparable.

Having grown accustomed to Lv Jing being by her side, she momentarily forgot their agreement to travel together only to the capital city.

An Qinghe urgently said, "I'll go look for her."

"Don't go." Gu Xixi calmly looked at An Qinghe.

Once An Qinghe decides on a friend, he will treat them with his whole heart.

He puzzled, "But she said the farthest she's ever been in her life is Nan Yi Xian County; the capital is so big, with so many people—she could easily be tricked and sold off on her own."

Jiang Mingyuan said, "Just listen to Xixi; Xiao Taiyang has the right to make her own choice."

She's always been afraid of implicating us; even if you go find her now, she won't come back with you to keep living together.

An Qinghe stared, then after a moment muttered, "So we're just going to leave her be like that?"

Gu Xixi and Jiang Mingyuan exchanged a glance, and she said, "Who said we're not going to care?"

She went to the Capital Prefecture to beat the drum and appeal for justice; she will surely cause a stir in the streets, and then we'll naturally be able to find her.

Looking at Jiang Mingyuan again, though he didn't speak, his expression conveyed the same meaning.

An Qinghe's eyes lit up again, "I knew it!"

But is her safety all right now?

Gu Xixi said, "A weak woman betting everything she has, not sparing to go all the way to the capital city, facing the unknown alone—from the moment she made that decision, she is no longer weak."

Moreover, if she were merely a foolish person, having lost her parents' protection, she would have long been crushed by the Fan family's vicious servants; how could she have had the chance to run away and meet us?

An Qinghe was greatly shocked, "You mean she……"

Gu Xixi remained calm, "In the capital city, with so many people, her leaving us actually makes her a smaller target. I believe she will certainly be able to protect herself."

You and I, as well as Brother Zi Chu, also have our own things to do.

We should do what we need to do, and just wait for her…… to cause a stir herself.