I raised stunning young ladies, but they all wanted to possess me.

Just then, the noise from outside the courtyard started again.

"Is Master Gu here? It's me, Aunt Tian."

This time the voice was closer than before, and the tone was somewhat urgent.

Gu Yan recognized Aunt Tian's voice and quickly replied, "Coming."

He sheathed the Demon-Suppressing Blade and placed it on the stone table. He waved to Fu Wanqing and led her through the archway.

Fu Wanqing followed behind him, her ponytail swaying gently in the morning breeze, her expression having returned to normal.

Gu Yan walked to the gate of the courtyard and saw Aunt Tian standing in the corridor.

Her hands were clasped in front of her, her fingers constantly fidgeting with the hem of her apron, her expression hesitant, as if she were struggling with what to say and what not to say.

She would never normally act like this. This old steward, who had served as the head steward of the Chen family for forty years, could handle any situation flawlessly.

"Aunt Tian, ​​what's wrong? What happened?" Gu Yan walked up to her and asked softly.

Aunt Tian looked up at Gu Yan, then at Fu Wanqing behind him, her lips moved, and finally she spoke.

Her voice was very low, so low that only the two of them could hear: "Master Gu, there's a young girl outside looking for you."

"I haven't told you yet, Miss, I was just thinking of asking for your opinion first."

Gu Yan was dumbfounded, standing there stunned for several seconds.

A young girl had come specifically to see him, and Aunt Tian didn't dare tell Cecilia directly. He took a deep breath and tentatively asked, "What does this girl look like?"

Aunt Tian gestured with her hands, recalling as she spoke, "It was that little girl who came to the amusement park with Master Gu before, the one who was wearing glasses and dressed simply."

"But now that she's taken off her glasses and let her hair down, she looks quite pretty, completely different from her previous gloomy self."

"Master Gu, this isn't quite right. Miss just told you..."

She didn't finish her sentence, but the meaning was already quite clear.

Gu Yan knew it was Shen Youyao as soon as he heard her name. The fact that she had taken off her glasses made him even more alert, as Shen Youyao never took off her glasses on her own initiative.

Those black-rimmed glasses were her self-protective barrier; she said that wearing glasses made her feel safe.

Now that she's taken off her glasses, dressed completely differently than before, and even came to my door, it's highly likely that this isn't Shen Youyao herself, but Shen Youwei.

"Aunt Tian, ​​please keep this a secret for me. Don't tell Cecilia."

"I'll go out and check the situation now, take the person away, and make sure there's no trouble at the Chen family's place."

He stepped forward and spoke to Aunt Tian in a low voice.

Aunt Tian didn't nod immediately; her expression became even more conflicted.

She looked at Gu Yan with worry and heartache in her eyes, and after a few seconds of silence, she spoke: "Master Gu, it's not that I'm being nosy."

"You know how much the young lady feels for you. She sent someone out early this morning to buy things for the engagement."

"If you go to see other girls now and the young lady finds out, she will be heartbroken."

"Aunt Tian, ​​let me tell you the truth. Don't let her quiet and gentle appearance fool you, that girl outside."

"Her strength is no less than Cecilia's."

"If she causes trouble at the Chen family, the entire Shanglu will suffer as a result."

"I'm not doing anything shady behind Cecilia's back; I'm preventing a disaster that could destroy half of Shanglu."

Gu Yan was silent for a moment, then looked seriously into Aunt Tian's eyes. His tone was no longer gentle, but carried a rare seriousness.

Aunt Tian could hardly believe what she was hearing.

She looked into Gu Yan's eyes, trying to find a trace of a joke in them.

But all she saw was earnestness, a seriousness that wasn't feigned; it was genuine concern. She

Finally, he slowly nodded and stepped aside to clear the corridor leading to the door: "Mr. Gu, please be careful."

"If anything happens, just call me anytime. I'll have a few servants waiting at the door."

Gu Yan nodded and turned to leave.

He took long, hurried steps, his mind racing as he calculated how to react after seeing Shen Youwei.

Just then, a hand reached out from the side and precisely gripped his wrist with five fingers.

Gu Yan turned her head to look at Fu Wanqing's fingers gripping her wrist and asked, "What's wrong?"

Fu Wanqing did not let go, her amber eyes staring straight at him.

"I'm afraid that person will bully you, so I want to go with them."

Her tone was serious; it didn't sound like she was being coquettish or discussing anything.

She was just laughing and sparring with him a moment ago, but now she seems like a completely different person, with an unyielding determination in her eyes.

Gu Yan was dumbfounded. His mind flashed through all sorts of scenarios that might occur after Shen Youwei met Fu Wanqing.

Last time at the restaurant, Shen Youwei almost clashed with Fu Wanqing, although for some reason the girl held back.

He didn't even want to think about the scene if they met directly outside the Chen family's gate and the two A-level superhumans started fighting in the street.

"Wanqing, listen to me. You've seen that girl outside before. She's the one I ate with at the restaurant last time."

"Her situation is rather complicated, and having too many people around could easily lead to trouble."

"Isn't your favorite food braised pork ribs?"

"When I get back, I'll make you a big plate of it tonight, just for you, without any scallions."

As he spoke, he observed Fu Wanqing's changing expressions. When he mentioned braised pork ribs, her eyebrows twitched slightly.

Fortunately, I noticed that the girl had been picking up braised pork ribs the most times while we were eating at Fu Wanqing's adoptive father's house.

Fu Wanqing remained silent for two seconds, but her fingers still did not loosen.

She tilted her head to look at him, as if judging whether what he said was true or false, and finally smiled, a smile like a thin layer of ice melting in the sunlight.

"Two plates, and one more serving of sweet and sour pork."

"You keep your word; you're a dog if you lie."

She loosened her fingers, took a step back, put her hands behind her back, and her ponytail swayed gently in the morning breeze.

Gu Yan quickly assured him that she meant two games and would never lie, then turned and walked out.

He walked through the corridor and through the main hall, his pace much faster than usual.

As he approached the Chen family's gate, he saw the figure standing at the entrance from afar, and his steps suddenly faltered.

Shen Youyao stood under the old sycamore tree outside the door.

She wore a light blue dress today, the hem of which just reached her knees, revealing a section of her fair calves.

She wore light makeup, with a light pink lip gloss on her lips and long, curled eyelashes.

Most importantly, she took off her glasses. Without the black-rimmed glasses obscuring her eyes, her whole face looked like a completely different person.

Her features were already extremely delicate, but they were usually mostly covered by those large black-rimmed glasses.

Now that she's taken off her glasses, the curve of her eyebrows, the height of her nose, and the lines of her lips are all revealed, making her so beautiful that passersby can't help but take a second look.

She stood there quietly, carrying a small white canvas bag.

But her aura of keeping strangers at bay was too strong. Standing under the sycamore tree, she looked like a lone cat, radiantly beautiful, yet no one dared to approach her.

Several young men who had just come out of the neighboring courtyard saw her and their eyes lit up. They whispered among themselves and shoved each other for a while.

One of the bolder ones took two steps forward, ready to strike up a conversation.