Chapter 349: Daytime Nightmare

Gu Xixi stared, her unfocused eyes lifting as she fixed her gaze on Dou Rongshan.

Dou Rongshan had never met Gu Xixi before, so she knew nothing of her background or temperament; seeing her like this, she couldn't help but feel a bit intimidated.

"What are you staring at me for!"

"How so, everything I said hit the mark, you vixen—you're just suspicious and trying to seduce your cousin!"

"You, you even deliberately stripped his clothes, you dare to be so brazen—others can't stand to look!"

He Jinglan snorted, "You have no eyes—aren't your eyeballs stuck from staring?"

Dou Rongshan's face flushed red with embarrassment and anger, "You're talking nonsense!"

He Jinglan remarked calmly, "It was clearly you who said it—why shouldn't you look just because you say you won't?"

"Clearly you've seen it all, and you're still not satisfied."

Dou Rongshan stamped her foot, "I'm not talking to you! I'm only talking to her!"

Today Gu Xixi had an audience with the emperor; entering the palace required proper decorum, so she inevitably had to put some thought into her attire.

He Jinglan picked out a more formal court dress for her.

Naturally, her grooming also required more effort than usual.

Her hair was styled in the current lily bun, the main ornament a golden canary hairpin with a glass pearl, plus a few small pearl flower pins; her face was lightly dusted with jasmine powder, but no rouge.

This outfit satisfied the regulations for an audience while not appearing overly gaudy.

Even so, when Mu Nan Zhao saw Gu Xixi in the Imperial Study, his heart still skipped a few beats.

Perhaps because those around her were used to seeing Gu Xixi in her plain, makeup-free attire, they usually didn't pay much attention to her looks.

But after the skilled hands of He Jinglan and a few maidservants worked together,

they refined Gu Xixi's already beautiful features, making them ever more elegant.

Adding garments, jewelry, and an intricate hairstyle she wouldn't normally wear,

how could one not be dazzled?

Seeing Gu Xixi not respond, Dou Rongshan called out again, "Hey, vixen, I'm talking to you—why are you spacing out!"

Gu Xixi's eyes regained focus: "It's the first time anyone's called me a vixen; I'm not used to it, I didn't realize you were speaking to me."

He Jinglan couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"She's not deceiving you; she always makes a living by her talent, not her looks."

"But since you complimented her looks, we're also quite pleased."

Dou Rongshan glanced at He Jinglan, then at Gu Xixi, deeply feeling she had been made fun of.

She snapped angrily, "I didn't praise her! The term vixen doesn't mean—"

The three words 'shameless' had not yet left her mouth.

Mu Nan Zhao suddenly spoke up to stop them: "Enough."

Dou Rongshan froze, looking at him in disbelief, "Cousin..."

Mu Nan Zhao's face was calm, but his eyes were somewhat gloomy.

It bore the authority of a superior, not the expression of an older brother to a younger sister.

"This is not the Dou Clan; Miss Dou, mind your manners when you speak."

"This girl blocked the carriage and barged in, arguing with He Jinglan—these things he could overlook."

"But this girl actually dared to insult Gu Xixi with her words."

"If he doesn't want to speak, is he as good as dead?!"

Dou Rongshan stared blankly at Mu Nan Zhao, her eye sockets reddening.

He actually called her Miss Dou? His tone was icy, all business.

Dou Rongshan knew very well the rumors that the Regent Prince disliked women.

In the capital, all the marriage intentions of the various families, the affections that the noble ladies expressed openly or secretly, were ruthlessly rejected by him.

She had originally thought that, having known him since childhood, she would be treated differently from others.

But Mu Nan Zhao had first avoided her, and today, when she confronted him directly, she hadn't expected this attitude again.

Dou Rongshan had lost face, but her stubborn nature made her grit her teeth and hold back tears as she said to Gu Xixi:

"I had never heard of someone like you in the capital before, and I had never seen He Jinglan going out with you before."

"You must come from some lowly background."

"Are you the daughter of some petty soldier, or a lowly concubine's daughter no one wants?"

Mu Nan Zhao frowned, anger gathering in his eyes, about to speak, but Gu Xixi gave him a look.

Mu Nan Zhao's eyes flickered, and he temporarily restrained his emotions.

Gu Xixi hesitated, letting out a long 'uh,' and said, "Too bad you all guessed wrong—I'm just a commoner, my family farms the land."

Dou Rongshan had prepared to mock her, intending to overwhelm her with the Dou Clan's rank and status.

Upon hearing Gu Xixi's answer, she thought her ears must be playing tricks on her.

"Don't joke! You don't dare say your father's official post, are you trying to fool me?!"

He Jinglan laughed again, "I can even testify—everything she said is true."

From the moment Gu Xixi started responding to Dou Rongshan, He Jinglan had completely relaxed, just waiting to watch the show.

Because she had full confidence in Gu Xixi.

A spoiled little brat like that could possibly get an advantage in front of Gu Xixi—fat chance!

Dou Rongshan stared up and down at Gu Xixi, her face full of confusion.

Gu Xixi simply let her look as much as she wanted.

Dou Rongshan regrouped.

You're just a country bumpkin! My cousin never takes on flirtatious girls—it must be you who latched onto him!

Unexpectedly, Gu Xixi actually nodded and admitted.

But that also requires him to be willing to let me cling to him.

Look at you, you've even blocked someone else's carriage—if he had agreed to let you cling to him earlier, why would it have come to this?

Seemingly without a single insulting word, yet it directly cuts to the heart.

Gu Xixi gazed gently at Dou Rongshan, even sighing sympathetically.

Dou Rongshan was sorrowful and angry, unable to find words to rebut, and after holding back for a while, she said:

Even if my cousin is bewitched by you and indulges you for a moment, he won't truly like you—much less marry you!

"Marry me?" Gu Xixi sounded as if she'd heard something utterly hilarious.

She wore a half-smile, the smile not reaching her eyes: "I only know that sitting here talking with him is perfectly natural."

He hasn't said he's unwilling, so why is it your turn to chatter?

Furthermore, whether you like or dislike, marry or not—at least here, it's never solely up to a man to decide.

At this moment, Mu Nan Zhao said, "Counting today, you've already refused me twice."

He gazed faintly at Gu Xixi, his tone resentful.

Although this person's impromptu addition to the act was beyond Gu Xixi's expectation.

But she glanced at Dou Rongshan, this time she had no desire to rebut or clarify.

He Jinglan covered her mouth, drew a sharp breath, and her eyes simultaneously burst with ecstatic color.

The first time she knew, she had personally witnessed Mu Nan Zhao's proposal.

But what's going on with this second time today?

Looking again at Dou Rongshan, she was already stunned, as if struck by heavenly thunder.

My cousin, like a celestial being, actually being rejected by such a coarse country girl?!

Yet more heavenly thunder continued to roll down upon her.

Mu Nan Zhao sighed softly, "If you insist on establishing a career before starting a family, I can only wait."

However, there's one point that Xixi said that's quite right.

You and I have long been perfectly natural.

Crack! Dou Rongshan collapsed limp onto the seat.

One couldn't tell whether it was the blow that was too great or the shock that was too great.

How does it sound like my cousin is rushing ahead, yet this country girl looks down on him?!

Heavens! This is so absurd, quickly someone tell her this is a nightmare!