"Ha, hearing you say that makes me feel much better," Du Lanyue said.
Du Lanyue was becoming increasingly strong through her business dealings. In the past, if she were still a young lady from a wealthy household, she would have been mortified and even questioned life itself if faced with such a matchmaking scene. But now, her state of mind was remarkably strong. Coupled with Gu Qingcheng's teasing, it helped her mood inexplicably improve.
Gu Qingcheng said, "From what you've said, I can more or less imagine my future situation. No one will likely dare to arrange blind dates for me. I plan to have Mi Guo adopt a child for me after he gets married. That way, I can fool my parents and put their minds at ease."
Du Lanyue hadn't expected Gu Qingcheng to have similar thoughts. She paused and asked, "Are your parents arranging blind dates for you now?"
"Not for me, but for Mi Guo. Time flies, and Mi Guo is already 15 years old," Gu Qingcheng said. In modern times, dating so early would be considered definite underage dating. But in this era, getting engaged wasn't too early. Arranging a partner and then marrying in two to three years would be appropriate, preventing everyone from worrying.
"Are you so eager for him to find a partner?" Du Lanyue, hearing the gossip from those around her, was also very interested. It's true that gossip is a common failing of women.
Gu Qingcheng frowned and said, "I've noticed some signs that Mi Guo might be in love."
"What? Tell me more?" Du Lanyue's curiosity blazed. She was a woman too, and what woman didn't enjoy gossip?
Gu Qingcheng said, "Lately, I've often found him sneaking out late at night, returning very late. During the day, he's often seen smiling to himself or staring blankly into the distance. When I call him, he seems startled awake as if he's been scared."
"Really? It seems he likes that girl a lot?" Du Lanyue chuckled.
"Alas, I hope he finds a good girl from a good family, and that they have mutual affection. I have no other requirements," Gu Qingcheng said with the tone of a doting mother. After all, financial security was the greatest backing, and she wasn't afraid of Mi Guo making mistakes.
Unaware that his secretive comings and goings and his innermost thoughts had been discovered by the two sisters, Mi Guo crept over the wall into the house late the next night. He went to such lengths to be secretive because he feared being discovered by the servants, who would then tell Gu Qingcheng the next day. Gu Qingcheng would surely ask him where he'd been late at night. Gu Qingcheng wasn't trying to restrict his movements but was afraid he'd fall prey to bad people and go to places like brothels to do improper things. The Gu family's power was immense; who on Chaliao Island didn't want to curry favor with them? And some people's methods of currying favor involved enticing their children into doing bad deeds. After all, doing bad deeds was addictive, and once hooked, one would be beyond salvation. Gu Qingcheng often warned Mi Guo, so Mi Guo dared not let his sister know about his nighttime excursions.
Unexpectedly, his late-night escapades led to a nasty surprise. Gu Qingcheng was in the courtyard, either drinking tea or wine. As Mi Guo tumbled over the wall, he brushed the grass off his pants and stood up, only to see Gu Qingcheng holding a cup, looking at him with a half-smile. "Mi Guo, where were you going? You're quite capable, learning to sneak over the wall in the middle of the night?"
Mi Guo shivered and quickly said, "Sister, I... I went out to look at the moon. Look how beautiful the moon is tonight." He quickly pointed to the moon above as a cover.
"I know you went to look at the moon. So, who were you looking at it with?" Gu Qingcheng asked him directly, without mincing words.
Mi Guo hadn't expected his sister to be so blunt. He stammered for a moment, and finally, realizing he couldn't escape Gu Qingcheng's sharp eyes, he reluctantly said, "Sister, I... I went on a date with a girl."
"A date? That's a good thing. Why the need to be so secretive and sneaky?" Gu Qingcheng thought for a moment. "Oh, could it be that the girl's family is not well-off? It's alright, we don't look at family background, only at the person's character and how well they treat you."
"She definitely treats me well, but as far as I know, I don't know if you can accept her," Mi Guo said hesitantly.
"What's there not to accept? Is she very ugly? Or does her family have a gambling problem? These things, as long as you are genuinely in love and she truly treats you well, and you like her, can all be resolved," Gu Qingcheng said confidently. "Most people would probably care a lot about these conditions, but in my eyes, Gu Qingcheng's, these are not issues." After all, if the girl's family were truly excessive, she wouldn't hesitate to teach them a lesson with her cleaver. If they could reform, they might spare their lives; if not, then...
Under Gu Qingcheng's imposing presence, Mi Guo said, "Actually, my relationship with her has just begun. I was afraid you would be too anxious, so I didn't dare tell you. I was planning to tell you once things were stable."
"Oh, it seems this girl is someone I know. Who is she? Tell me quickly! I can't wait to know," Gu Qingcheng laughed heartily.
"She... she is Du Lanxing." Mi Guo's tongue rolled out the name.
This time, Gu Qingcheng was stunned. "Du Lanxing? Her? Isn't she several years older than you? Are you guys... are you playing an older woman-younger man relationship?" Gu Qingcheng was first stunned, then burst into laughter.
"Sister, you shouldn't mock people like that. I've already grown taller than Lan Xing, it's just the age difference. Lan Xing doesn't look as old as you say, and I don't mind her being older than me," Mi Guo said anxiously, afraid Gu Qingcheng would object.
"No, I'm not mocking you because of the age difference. I'm just surprised. I never expected you to be with Du Lanxing. If I had known you two were interested in each other, I would have created opportunities for you." Gu Qingcheng's initial surprise turned into happy acceptance, which immediately relieved Mi Guo.
"Actually, I'm quite surprised myself. In the past, we always had to compete with each other. As we competed, we realized that we actually quite enjoyed competing with each other if we didn't see each other for a day."
"Haha, you two got to know each other through conflict. Since I know Du Lanxing is the one you like, I'm relieved. I trust her character. However, you might have to face the Du family's scrutiny next. You are several years younger, and I don't know how their family views this."
"Ah? That's what I'm worried about too," Mi Guo said worriedly.
"I'll put in a good word for you with Du Lancheng and Sister Lanyue. As for the eldest brother Du, you'll have to win him over yourself. You can't always hide behind me; that would show a lack of sincerity, understand?" Gu Qingcheng advised.
"I understand, Sister. I will strive for it." Mi Guo had grown considerably in recent years. He was no longer the boy who was a head shorter than Du Lanxing. His height had already surpassed 1.7 meters, and at his age, he would still grow taller.