Chapter 333: The truth isn't something that must be known

She faced the mirror and did her makeup.

Ziyan said, "Tying up the hair is simple enough, but at least wear a hairpin; otherwise it won't look very good."

Gu Xixi looked at the mirror and said, "All right, I trust Miss Ziyan's taste; you pick."

Ziyan, without affectation, picked a lotus-flower white jade hairpin from the tray filled with hair ornaments.

"Miss Xixi doesn't like to show off; this will do."

Gu Xixi glanced at it, smiled, and sat up straight.

Seeing she had no objection, Ziyan began to tie her hair.

Gu Xixi seemed to make small talk, saying, "This hairpin looks plain, but it's actually top-quality mutton-fat warm jade."

"I haven't seen it in Jing Lan's makeup case; it probably isn't borrowed from the Flower-Planting Pavilion, right?"

Since becoming acquainted with Meng Dangni zi of Zhenbaoge, Gu Xixi's knowledge of pearls and gems has improved by leaps and bounds over the past few months.

Ziyan glanced furtively at He Jinglan, her expression seeming somewhat embarrassed.

"This is..."

Gu Xixi laughed, "What, is the source still a secret, hard to say?"

He Jinglan, seeing she couldn't bluff her way out, said, "It was sent early this morning from the Regent Prince's mansion."

"They also sent three horses, which are outside."

Gu Xixi wondered, "What's there to hide about that?"

"Given your families' relationship, exchanging visits is completely normal."

While speaking, Ziyan had already placed the hairpin on Gu Xixi's head, then lowered her head and stepped back.

"Why hasn't breakfast arrived yet? I'll go check."

Guangzhu's small face tightened, "Ah!"

Unfortunately she reached out and grasped at air, only able to watch helplessly as Ziyan hurried out of the elegant room,

Guangzhu stamped her foot in annoyance, "Elder Sister Ziyan is too sly, she slipped away first!".

Gu Xixi looked at He Jinglan and Guangzhu with a half-smile, waiting for them to "confess" themselves.

He Jinglan let out a long breath, "Everything that happened from after you blacked out from drinking last night until this morning—ask whatever you want!"

She spoke rapidly, afraid that if she slowed even a little she would lose her courage.

Gu Xixi nodded, "This room isn't the one from last night; why are we sleeping here?"

He Jinglan and Guangzhu widened their eyes, staring at Gu Xixi as if they had witnessed some miracle.

He Jinglan exclaimed in disbelief, "You really don't remember?"

She stood up and gestured for Guangzhu to come over.

Guangzhu cooperated tacitly with her mistress, and the two perfectly reenacted the entire process from last night: Gu Xixi getting drunk, falling, lying on someone else, letting out a shout of "Stone Breaks Heaven, Shock!" to someone, then being scooped up sideways by someone, moved to this room, and tossed onto the bed.

Gu Xixi stood frozen like a wooden chicken.

For a moment she couldn't tell whether she could fully understand this wordless mime show; it was rather bizarre.

Or perhaps such an extraordinary experience, she simply couldn't recall any of it… even more bizarre.

He Jinglan looked at Gu Xixi sympathetically; originally she feared Gu Xixi couldn't bear it and didn't want to help her recall these things.

Gu Xixi felt her soul had left her body, hearing only her own voice say, "Is Guangzhu acting as me?"

Guangzhu nodded.

Although she arrived late, she also learned the full plot from various aspects.

Gu Xixi: "What did I say when I shouted 'Stone Breaks Heaven, Shock!'?"

"Jing Lan, tell me the truth; I can bear it."

He Jinglan repeated it once, glancing at Gu Xixi's face to kindly remind, "But after that, when you were alone with him here, whether you said anything else, I don't know."

Gu Xixi's body swayed, on the verge of collapsing.

But she managed to stay upright, took a deep breath, and said, "In front of everyone, you just watched him carry me away?"

He Jinglan said solemnly, "There was nothing to be done; his murderous look was such that even my brother dared not stop him."

She looked earnestly into Gu Xixi's eyes and assured, "But you can rest assured."

"We also know he wouldn't do anything to you, and given your state at the time, if left unchecked, who knows what you might shout out in public."

"Letting him take you away serves two purposes: first, to let him quickly leave that embarrassing place and calm himself."

"Second, if you don't… shut up, everyone in the Flower-Planting Pavilion, having heard too much of the Regent Prince's embarrassments, might end up banging their heads against the wall to erase that night's memory, just to stay safe."

Gu Xixi held her forehead for a long time, then suddenly thought that being a bit muddle-headed sometimes isn't bad.

"What's the point of insisting on knowing all this so clearly?"

"Now I just want to bang my head against the wall to erase everything I just heard."

Guangzhu comforted her sympathetically, "Miss Xixi, don't be too upset; the Prince and my family's elders have already taken care of the Flower-Planting Pavilion inside and out last night, so no one will spread word of your drunkenness."

He Jinglan nodded in agreement, "Besides, when Mu Nan Zhao held you then, no guest saw your face."

Gu Xixi thought, "If no one saw, they probably wouldn't discover that she knows Mu Nan Zhao, and thus no rumors would spread."

She slightly lifted her spirits and continued questioning.

"The clothes I wore yesterday—did I take them off myself, or...?"

"Don't worry!" He Jinglan finally spoke with confidence, "I waited for the time it takes to burn an incense stick, then ran over to see you, drove him away, and gave you a change of clothes."

"Then Ziyan and Guangzhu came, we slept together in the same room for half the night, and nothing else happened."

Gu Xixi: "How did he say when he sent these things this morning?"

He Jinglan: "Sent in my brother's name for my use; even the errand boy is from my household, guaranteed low-key, so no one will connect it to you."

Having clarified what should and shouldn't be asked, with things as they are, Gu Xixi could only let go of her worries for now.

She no longer wanted to stay another moment at the Flower-planting Pavilion; after hastily eating breakfast, she was about to leave.

As noon approached, many overnight guests had already left, and the pavilion was much quieter than at night.

An Qinghe was not in yesterday's elegant room; asking the cleaning maid, she said he had already left early.

Gu Xixi and He Jinglan arrived at the main hall just as they encountered Jian Lan.

Gu Xixi didn't even want to recall what she had eaten the previous night, but her impression of Jian Lan was deep.

Looking at him again in broad daylight, he truly was a rare handsome man, his bearing pure as jade from Kun Mountain.

As a woman, thinking of how she had once gotten drunk and made a fool of herself in front of such a handsome man, she felt somewhat embarrassed.

Gu Xixi made small talk, saying, "Young Master Jian Lan, what a coincidence to meet you."

Jian Lan replied, "It's no coincidence; I am here on purpose waiting for Boss Gu."

Gu Xixi started, asking, "Did I break something last night?"

Jian Lan laughed, "No."

"It's because of me that Boss Gu had a few extra drinks."

"I came only to ask: Boss Gu, do you feel better this morning, or are you still unwell?"

He looked at Gu Xixi, seeming to find it amusing. "However, seeing you so full of energy, I am relieved."

Gu Xixi breathed a sigh of relief and also smiled, saying, "Thank you for your concern; I'm fine now."

Jian Lan no longer blocked their conversation, stepping aside slightly, and said, "Take care."

Leaving the Flower-planting Pavilion, He Jinglan said, "In the past, someone said that Jian Lan somewhat resembles a certain person."

"Is there?" Gu Xixi puzzled, "I don't see any resemblance at all."

Riding out of the city, An Qinghe remained cheerful and talkative, his smile bright.

"Great, Xixi can ride so steadily—it shows she's not uncomfortable."

He Jinglan said, "Last night I was busy and forgot, but fortunately Brother An remembered to bring the hangover soup and stone for you."

Gu Xixi thanked him, but caught sight of a faint bruise on An Qinghe's jaw.