RPAGF Chapter 717 He doesn't understand Gu Qingchen at all.
Chapter 717 He doesn't understand Gu Qingchen at all.
The courtyard returned to silence, with the half-kicked shuttlecock lying forlornly on the ground.
Holding the pile of colorful trinkets in his arms, Gu Qingchen walked back to the stone table as if possessed.
The things Qian Zhenyun brought included a clay Monkey King figurine, red ropes that could be turned into various patterns, and several colorful glass beads, all scattered together.
And next to this lively scene was a rattle drum with a little tiger painted on it...
Lin Jiayou's hoarse yet affectionate voice still seems to echo in my ears.
Gu Qingchen reached out and picked up the rattle drum. The wooden handle was polished smooth and warm, and the little tiger on the drumhead had its mouth open, which did look quite majestic.
Did she really have such a toy?
My memories are so blurry, like they're shrouded in a fog; I can't see them clearly no matter what I do.
Just as she was staring blankly at the little tiger, a voice rang out behind her without warning.
"This tiger is painted so vividly, it's comparable to the work of carpenter Wang at the entrance of East Street."
"what!"
Gu Qingchen was so startled that her hand trembled, and the rattle drum almost flew out of her hand. She turned around sharply and saw Qian Zhenyun's enlarged face, grinning at her.
"You scared me to death!" She was both angry and amused, raising her hand to punch him. "Didn't you leave? How come you've reappeared like a ghost!"
Qian Zhenyun jumped back to dodge her punch and spread his hands innocently.
"Who told you to be so serious? I've been standing here for ages and you didn't even notice."
He leaned closer, his gaze falling on the rattle drum in her hand, and clicked his tongue in amazement. "To be honest, the tiger that Carpenter Wang painted has this flavor. The nose and eyes are all squeezed together. It looks fierce, but it's actually a bit silly."
Gu Qingchen froze.
She unconsciously stroked the cool drum handle. Qian Zhenyun's unintentional words were like a fine needle, gently piercing her heart.
At the entrance of East Street, carpenter Wang.
She remembered the purse embroidered with the character "Jia" by her sister Lanxin, her brother's comment that it was "too sharp," and the strange look in Lin Jiayou's eyes when he turned around.
An inexplicable intuition told her that things might not be so simple.
"What are you thinking about?" Qian Zhenyun asked, waving his hand in front of her eyes when she didn't speak for a while.
Gu Qingchen snapped out of his daze, put the rattle back on the table, and made a slightly heavier movement than before, producing a soft "knock" sound.
She kicked Qian Zhenyun's shin. "What are you still standing there for? You've finished the task His Highness the Crown Prince gave you, so get out of here!"
"Ugh, this is what they call discarding a donkey after it has served its purpose!" Qian Zhenyun exclaimed dramatically, complaining but not moving an inch. "I was just worried you'd be bored by yourself. Besides, you haven't even played with all those treasures I gave you yet!"
Seeing his enthusiastic and silly expression, Gu Qingchen's annoyance actually dissipated a little.
She rolled her eyes at him, annoyed, but didn't chase him away.
Qian Zhenyun looked at Gu Qingchen with an unprecedentedly serious expression.
"Gu Qingchen".
He rarely called her by her full name like that, so Gu Qingchen couldn't help but become serious as well.
"Some things may look old, but they may not actually be old."
"Some people may seem to be doing this for you, but they may not really be doing it for you."
Gu Qingchen suddenly looked up, "What do you mean?"
Qian Zhenyun opened his mouth, looking at the spark that had been ignited in her eyes, and sighed inwardly.
Sometimes, it's more useful to leave things unsaid than to say them outright.
He knew she had taken his words to heart.
So he avoided her gaze and said instead, "His Highness the Crown Prince asked me to pass on a message to you."
"He will ask you to meet him outside the city the day after tomorrow, under the big locust tree where we used to hide things."
The big locust tree where things are hidden.
These words were like a key, instantly unlocking the floodgates of Gu Qingchen's memories.
Under that tree lies her childhood slingshot, the beautiful pebble Qian Zhenyun lost to her, and the storybook the Crown Prince secretly hid when he was a child for fear of being scolded by the Grand Tutor.
That was the purest and cleanest secret that belonged to the three of them.
But Qian Zhenyun brought it up at this very moment.
Gu Qingchen suddenly realized that he was reminding her.
The things buried under that tree are genuine old items; the things Lin Jiayou entrusted to him for safekeeping haven't been returned yet.
"Don't go!"
She uttered two words with unwavering resolve, her voice cold and hard.
Petty? Yes, she is extremely petty!
Didn't the Crown Prince do everything he could to protect Princess Jiahe at the palace banquet, and didn't he let those rumors spread like wildfire?
Who in the capital doesn't know that they are a perfect match, deeply in love?
Then the two of them should stay together forever and not bother with her.
What do you take her for? Someone you can summon and dismiss at will, someone you can coax when you remember her?
Gu Qingchen will not play along!
Qian Zhenyun seemed to have anticipated her reaction, showing no surprise on his face, and simply asked another question.
"You really don't want to go?"
"I'm not going." Gu Qingchen's answer was without the slightest hesitation.
"Alright then." Qian Zhenyun shrugged, looking indifferent as if to say, "I've delivered the message, whether you go or not is up to you."
He knew perfectly well that Gu Qingchen was just a stubborn mule.
His Highness the Crown Prince thought he could have both Princess Jiahe on one side and win back his childhood sweetheart, but he was simply dreaming.
He doesn't understand Gu Qingchen at all.