Misty Rain of the Old Times

Xiao Gao glanced at Chen Xuan with some resentment. He had brought the princess without a word or prior notice, and there hadn't been any preparation. If Chen Xuan were to be impolite, the matter could escalate significantly.

Fortunately, the little princess did not have a princess's entourage, otherwise the entire Gao family would have had to respectfully welcome and pay homage. This is why Chen Xuan reminded the little princess to change her clothes, otherwise it would have truly overshadowed the princess.

Based on their years of tacit understanding, Gao Jingming reacted quickly, immediately greeting her with a smile and bowing, saying, "Miss Zhou, your presence is an honor to grace my humble abode. Please come in quickly, and I hope you will forgive any neglect."

Zhou Qianning was completely unpretentious and said gracefully, "Congratulations to the top scholar on your great achievement! I apologize for the intrusion and offer this humble gift, but I hope you will accept it."

As she spoke, she took the gift box from Su Roujia and handed it over herself. She was not usually an arrogant person, so this attitude was a great show of respect.

Gao Jingming accepted the gift with both hands. Despite his glorious past, he was somewhat flattered, but he didn't lose his composure. He respectfully said, "It is already a great honor for Miss Zhou to come. I am extremely humbled by the gift you brought, and I dare not refuse it, so I have accepted it with great honor."

They came to offer congratulations and help, not to cause trouble. This can't go on. Chen Xuan didn't have that many concerns and interrupted directly, "Alright, alright, that's enough. We're not strangers. Um, where are the clothes?"

These words further eased the already somewhat tense atmosphere. Gao Jingming handed the gift to the person next to him, gesturing for them to put it away and make a note of it, before turning to Chen Xuan and saying irritably, "Why bother changing clothes? Xuan, you just need to keep Miss Zhou company."

"Then I can't just come here to freeload, I should at least help out a little. Stop talking nonsense and hurry up," Chen Xuan waved his hand and said.

"Your Highness is of utmost importance," Chen Xuan said casually, but Gao Jingming dared not be negligent.

Just as he was struggling to find the right words, the little princess spoke up, "You two can chat as you like. This is my first time here, so I'll wander around. I hope the top scholar doesn't mind?"

She's learning from Chen Xuan to not treat herself as an outsider, not wanting to be a burden on the Gao family. She'll be integrating into Chen Xuan's circle eventually anyway, so this is a way of getting used to it in advance.

"How could I dare? Miss Zhou, please," Gao Jingming greeted her with great courtesy.

The little princess turned around and said, "Brother Xuan, you're busy, don't worry about me. Roujia, let's go. The scholar's house is so festive, we should take a good look around."

Such an attitude truly stunned Gao Jingming. How could the princess be so casual and approachable? Did she genuinely acknowledge the Gao family? That was Princess Fuyao, after all. How did Ah Xuan manage that? It was quite a dream.

This was exactly what Chen Xuan wanted to see, and he smiled, saying, "Qian Ning, you can go ahead. Don't act like outsiders."

There's no need to worry about safety. Wherever he is, no movement can escape his perception, and he can appear by the little princess's side in the blink of an eye in any unusual situation.

Then he asked Gao Jingming, "Where are the clothes?"

The little princess and her companions actually waved and left. Seeing this, Gao Jingming quickly ordered someone to inform them, then looked at Chen Xuan with a wry smile and said, "Xuan, you've really given me a huge surprise! Only surprise, no joy! I was almost scared to death!"

"You call yourself a top scholar? Even His Majesty sees you often. Look at your pathetic self," Chen Xuan said disdainfully.

More guests arrived, but Gao Jingming was too lazy to argue with him. Since things had come to this, he wouldn't dwell on it. So he said, "You're serious? Fine, the clothes are already prepared."

As he spoke, he gestured to his servants to bring the clothes, and a set of neatly folded clothes was placed on a tray.

Chen Xuan immediately objected, shaking his head and saying, "I won't wear it. I feel fine as I am, and I can still help you greet the guests."

"It was tailor-made for you, and you're not wearing it?" Gao Jingming was immediately dumbfounded.

Chen Xuan said with a look of disgust, "I believe in tailor-made clothes, but young master, you're wearing bright red festive clothes, and you give me a whole green outfit? I'd rather die than wear it."

"Is there a problem? What's our relationship? I'm getting married, okay? A red flower needs green leaves to complement it. You can't steal my thunder, can you? Hurry up and stop dawdling," Gao Jingming said emphatically.

Chen Xuan remained stubborn, saying, "That won't do either. Any color is fine, but I won't take green. Forget it, I'm not going to argue with you anymore. I'll go get a different set myself."

After saying this, Chen Xuan entered the Gao family's residence, went to the storeroom to greet them, and received a well-fitting gray servant's outfit, complete with a small, fussy cap.

When he reappeared at the door, Gao Jingming, who had just finished greeting a group of guests, said with a mix of laughter and tears, "It's not Ah Xuan, I prepared something for you so carefully, but you didn't wear it. You're putting on this show, acting like a servant?"

"Is there a problem? You said you wouldn't steal my thunder, isn't this just what you wanted? Pretty simple, right? Stop talking nonsense, let's get to work, I'm good at this," Chen Xuan waved his hand and got right into the role. Having been a page for over ten years, he was incredibly adept at greeting and seeing off guests, needing no temporary training.

As for his status, he didn't care at all. Would being a servant or background character affect his cultivation in the slightest? Besides, being able to greet guests at the Gao family's main gate was a sign of prestige. Who would want to bring bad luck upon him at a time like this?

With unparalleled ease, Chen Xuan accepted the invitation from a guest's attendant and announced loudly, "Lord Ding Yang, Compiler of the Hanlin Academy, has arrived, bringing a painting and calligraphy as a gift. Please come in quickly..."

It wasn't a difficult task. When guests arrived, he simply read out their names and identities from the invitations and invited them in. Others would handle the subsequent hospitality, so Chen Xuan mastered the job in a second.

Seeing this, Gao Jingming thought to himself that his good buddy was reliable. He didn't hesitate at all. A grandmaster like him was willing to be a servant at the gate. He was probably the only one in the world like him.

With Chen Xuan handling things on his own, Gao Jingming simply said, "Xuan, you keep an eye on things here for me. I'll go inside and greet the other guests."

"Go ahead, leave this to me," Chen Xuan waved his hand, as if to say, "Do you think I'd call your guests out?"

Gao Jingming naturally had to accompany the guests. He wasn't originally here specifically to greet guests; he had to step forward when his colleagues arrived. It just so happened that he ran into Chen Xuan. With Chen Xuan taking care of things here, he could free up his hands to serve other guests.

Even after leaving, Gao Jingming was still a little worried. Although he had notified his family in advance, he felt it was necessary to tell them that Princess Fuyao had arrived and that they should be treated well.

He soon saw his mother chatting and laughing with the little princess, accompanied by his sister Gao Jingyu. The group seemed to be having a great time, with the little princess calling her "sister-in-law" and "aunt" on the left and right. The harmonious scene made him feel like he had been superfluous in the past.

Seeing this, Gao Jingming was immediately relieved and went to greet the other guests. He was a little incredulous that Princess Fuyao was so easy to get along with, and it wasn't just because she was giving Ah Xuan face; she was genuinely approachable.

Strictly speaking, Zhou Qianning and the Gao family are relatives. Even disregarding Chen Xuan, she wouldn't have put on airs for the sake of her brother, Prince Qing. Of course, if it weren't for Chen Xuan, she probably wouldn't have come to join in the fun.

Meanwhile, Chen Xuan was extremely busy. The Gao family was packed with guests, and he kept talking non-stop as soon as he started working. He greeted everyone with a smile, loudly announcing the identities of the guests and their gifts, giving them plenty of face.

Gao Jingming is overjoyed, so naturally no unpleasant guests will come to his door. Even if someone with a grudge comes, he will have to greet them with a smile. Anyone who tries to cause trouble on his joyous occasion is clearly looking for a fight to the death.

This was only the first day, and almost everyone who came was from the capital. Some were Gao Jingming's colleagues, some were his classmates, and some were people with connections in the officialdom that Master Gao had.

In short, it's only the first day, and the guests here are all people with whom we have a casual relationship. There are hardly any important figures, and those kinds of people are naturally the ones who will make a grand entrance last.

There are some tricks to it. People who are neither close nor distant from the main character arrive early to get acquainted and make good connections. If they wait until the important person arrives, they will only become background figures and have nothing to do with the main character.

The families living in this neighborhood were all wealthy and powerful. Even if they were completely unrelated, they would send gifts through their servants as a token of appreciation. Human relationships were very strong in this era, and neighborly relations were something that needed to be maintained. In many cases, neighbors were even more reliable than relatives.

While busy, Chen Xuan occasionally paid attention to the little princess's movements and was relieved to find that she got along well with Madam Gao and the others. She was so understanding and reasonable, she would definitely be a good wife in the future.

Men fear choosing the wrong career, and women fear marrying the wrong man. The reverse is also true. If you marry a wife with a bad temper, life will definitely be difficult. Just dealing with interpersonal relationships alone will be a headache.

My little princess is so wonderful, I've struck gold!

The arrival of the little princess makes her the most honored guest in the Gao family at present, but she also knows her place. The Gao family has other guests to entertain, so she spends some time with Madam Gao and the others, then uses the excuse of sightseeing to separate. Otherwise, the Gao family can't just leave her behind to entertain other guests.

After strolling around the Gao family's house, the little princess came to a room not far from the main gate and watched Chen Xuan welcoming guests at the gate with great interest.

"It seems that Brother Xuan truly considers the Gao family his own, and is willing to serve as a doorman at the gate," the little princess remarked. She thought to herself that she should treat the Gao family even better in the future, so as not to put Brother Xuan in a difficult position.

Nodding, Su Roujia sincerely said, "The Gao family has been kind to Master Gao. Your Highness, you have no idea how good the Gao family has been to him. I heard that during the years Master Gao lived in the Gao family, his treatment was basically no different from that of Young Master Gao. Madam Gao even wanted to adopt him as her godson, but she gave up for some reasons. Moreover, when they moved in Yang County, it was like a division of the family property. Master Gao didn't have any business, and Madam Gao even wanted to give him a share of the property, but Master Gao was too lazy to manage it, so she gave up. However, Master Gao's share has always been kept in the Gao family's accounts, and he can withdraw it whenever he needs it. Madam didn't let me tell Master about this."

"I told you to call me 'sister,' Roujia, could you tell me about Xuan-gege's past? I don't know much about it."

"Well, I've only known the master for less than a year, but during my time at the Gao family, I heard many things about him from other people. When the master was five years old, he went to the Gao family..." (End of Chapter)