Unlike Imperial Court, Anran Lodge wasn't overly strict on the status or reputation of its patrons; instead, it was up to fate to decide whether you'd be received.
If the owner disapproved of you, you would not be let in for all the money in the world; on the other hand, if she took a fancy to you, she would welcome you with open arms even if you were penniless.
And Gu Xunjun just happened to be the latter.
Following the lead of the waiter, Su Xiaonai sat down on a bench.
Just then, she heard the sound of steady footsteps approaching from afar. She turned around towards its source and froze.
On the stone path, a slender figure in luxury custom suit slowly walked towards her. Sunlight passed through the gaps between the dense leaves and sprinkled on the man's body, lacing him with a layer of golden splendor. Already noble and graceful, he now resembled some divine being, his powerful aura blinding those who dared to look straight into him.
It was him…
It was Qi Lingyan!
Why is he here!?
Su Xiaonai's heart began to race. Almost instinctively she leapt to her feet, trying to leave.
Yet the way she hastily sprang up attracted Qi Lingyan's attention. He cast his gaze over towards her, narrowed those blue eyes, and the information on her popped up immediately through his photographic memory.
Su Xiaonai, the ex-girlfriend of his incompetent idler nephew Gu Sinan, vanished after their breakup six years ago. He had never expected to see her here.
But somehow…
He made a subtle frown as he saw her. Somehow that figure of hers felt familiar. He had seen her once, at a certain cocktail party Gu Sinan brought her to; but the recognition sprung from a different place.
Perhaps he'd seen her somewhere else.
His thoughts wandered, and Qi Lingyan retracted his gaze. She had broken up with Gu Sinan a long time ago, but even if she had stayed, who would she have been to him but another irrelevant character?
Su Xiaonai was ready to run away, but Qi Lingyan's cool gaze only swept past her briefly before he looked away.
That nonchalant indifference, it was as if he was looking at some insignificant stranger.
Su Xiaonai lowered her head and grimaced. It was better this way, for Qi Lingyan to ignore her completely as if she was a speck of dust. Only then could she conceal her secret forever, that she had bore his children.
The twins were hers and hers alone.
"Young lady…"
Just then, a loving voice called out to her.
She turned around and saw an old lady in a wheelchair looking at her kindly.
"Ma'am, are you calling me?" Su Xiaonai bent down slightly to meet the old lady's eyes.
Seeing that this young woman had bent down respectfully and considerately shielded her from the sunlight that shone on her face, the old lady showed a brief look of approval. Looking towards where Qi Lingyan had left, she changed into a teasing expression and asked, "that child doesn't look too bad, now does he, young lady?"
Su Xiaonai didn't think much about it when the old woman called her "young lady"; but hearing her refer to Qi Lingyan as "child", Su Xiaonai's mouth opened in a perfect O of surprise.
She tried and failed to imagine Qi Lingyan's reaction if he heard someone call him that.
"Young lady?" Seeing that her words had shocked the young woman, the old lady smiled a wider smile in her eyes. If looked closely, one could spot a hint of childish mischief in them.
"Mr. Qi's looks are surely quite outstanding." In fact, his looks were probably top-tier in the whole empire, if not the whole world.
Who could say no to such charm?
"Good then," nodded the old lady, suddenly looking distressed. "Young lady, I was accidentally separated from my family. Can you please take me back home?"
"Well…" Su Xiaonai hesitated before answering, "of course. I just need to talk to my friend first. Just a moment, ma'am."
Su Xiaonai took out her phone to message Gu Xunjun. After receiving her "permission", she put the phone away. Following the directions offered by the old lady, she wheeled her past several stone paths and arrived at a side door.
Upon seeing the door, Su Xiaonai had a rough idea of the old lady's status.
Money alone couldn't get you a courtyard connected directly to the Yihe Garden. The old lady was probably also from a noble family line.
"Madame, why did you…" Upon seeing the matriarch being wheeled back by a young woman he did not recognize, Hong Wei the butler paused and glanced behind her.
"I was separated from Miao Wan. Were it not for…" the old lady stopped and looked at Su Xiaonai with some embarrassment, "young lady, what's your name?"
"I'm Su Xiaonai, 26 years old."
"Xiaonai, what a pretty name! It sure sounds like the name of a lovely child like you." The old lady took Su Xiaonai's hand and patted affectionately.
"Madame, the young master is back!"
A hint of mischief flashed across the old lady's smiling eyes as she feigned irritation, "I'd be a weasel's dinner by the time he finds me. Get that brat over here!"
Qi Lingyan was close enough to hear the complaint from his grandmother. He let out a soft chuckle and asked, "since when did grandmother raise a weasel?"
The old lady curled her lips. "Wouldn't that be you, the only weasel here?"
Qi Lingyan felt it was useless trying to defend himself. It was grandmother who somehow picked up a girl on her way back, but now she was taking it out on him.
The old lady cast a sidelong glance at her grandson. "This here is Miss Su—you can call her Xiaonai—were it not for her accompanying me back, you'd be crying tears of regret now."
Squinting his eyes, Qi Lingyan looked at the tall and pretty woman in front of him, and a trace of mockery flashed across his eyes.
Still, in the presence of his grandmother, he put on a polite smile. "Thank you for accompanying my grandmother back."
Met with the man's deep gaze, Su Xiaonai nearly lost her composure and fled.
"You're too kind, Mr. Qi," she touched her nose with some awkwardness, "since the old lady has reached home safely, I'll be taking my leave now…"
"Wait!"
Su Xiaonai was ready to run to the exit when the old lady called out and waved at her.
"Um," Su Xiaonai walked over reluctantly, "ma'am, is there anything else you need?"
The old lady asked her to come closer.
Puzzled, Su Xiaonai lowered her ear as the old lady whispered, "your clothes are stained. Must be that time of the month? Stay here, I'll get my boy to get you some new ones."
For a brief moment, Su Xiaonai's mind went blank. Unconsciously she clutched the back of her dress, praying that she could disappear right there.
Qi Lingyan couldn't tell what his grandmother told Su Xiaonai, but seeing her embarrassment he knew the old lady was probably playing matchmaker. This girl in front of him, did she want to marry into a wealthy family?
He despised her in his heart.
The old lady only saw her grandson staring at the young woman, and her bright eyes were filled with happiness.
Her stoic grandson was not so hopeless after all.
So she took the initiative and ordered, "shut up and just do whatever I say."
Qi Lingyan: …
"Go purchase two sets of clothing for Nainai here. Outerwear, intimates—everything. Do you understand?"
Before Qi Lingyan could say anything, Su Xiaonai's face turned all red from embarrassment.
"There's no need, ma'am, please just lend me a jacket." Standing stiffly, she dared not to move at all.