Gu Youyou glanced at Jin Zijin inside the room, no wonder she hadn’t heard Jin Zijin talk about Yue Rujing’s arrival in Beijing last night.
Lin Qianqing wore a face of surprise, this being the first time she had met Yue Rujing, whose remarkable beauty certainly drew attention; a young girl in the budding stage of her life would likely feel ripples in her heart upon seeing such a breathtakingly handsome young man, her cheeks flushing red.
Lin Qianqing timidly stood behind Gu Youyou, tugging at her sleeve.
Gu Youyou took her hand, smiled, and said, "Oh yes, let me introduce her, this is my cousin, surnamed Lin."
Yue Rujing raised an eyebrow and gave a slight bow, with a light smile, he said, "The daughter of the Great Scholar Lin?"
Feeling shy, Lin Qianqing nodded slightly and said, "I am my father’s legitimate eldest daughter." Then she asked, "Does this gentleman know my father?"
Gu Youyou turned her head to look at Lin Qianqing, who mentioned that she was the legitimate eldest daughter of the Lin Family; though she was a bit shy, her chin was held high with pride.
Indeed, her status as the legitimate eldest daughter was something to be proud of, but this girl seemed unaware of the need to be reserved, especially since it was their first meeting with a stranger.
Yue Rujing looked at Lin Qianqing with mild surprise and smiled lightly, "I am Yue Rujing, the Princely Heir of the Marquis Residence of Lingnan. Years ago, I accompanied my father on a visit to Beijing and had the fortune to meet the Great Scholar Lin once."
Alright, the comparison of status had begun.
Lin Qianqing’s face showed astonishment, and she hurriedly bowed, saying, "So you are the Princely Heir of the Marquis Residence of Lingnan!"
Jin Wei and Xiao Jinyan, separated by a long corridor, upon witnessing this exchange, both wore faces of surprise and quickly walked over.
Having heard Yue Rujing’s confident self-introduction, both of them bowed respectfully to him.
"We’ve seen Princely Heir Yue."
Gu Youyou wasn’t familiar with the intricacies of Zhuzhao Country’s hierarchical differences, but she had common sense. Typically, officials from outside the capital did not hold higher status than those from within it, yet here were the sons and daughters of three capital officials who had to pay their respects to Yue Rujing.
The Marquis Residence of Lingnan was indeed an outside official residence.
Yue Rujing carried himself with poise, only nodding slightly to Jin Wei and Xiao Jinyan, before turning his attention back to Gu Youyou.
His smile was one of pure innocence as he said, "Senior sister, I happen to have something to discuss with you, may I talk with you inside?"
Jin Wei and Xiao Jinyan looked at Gu Youyou in surprise, then awkwardly stood in place.
They probably hadn’t expected Yue Rujing to call Gu Youyou senior sister, and he completely disregarded them, just staring expectantly at her.
This is just a village girl, isn’t it? What’s going on?
Jin Wei looked doubtfully at Lin Qianqing.
And Xiao Jinyan, seeing the relaxed individual drinking tea inside the room behind Yue Rujing, furrowed his brow in a few quick steps.
And Gu Youyou had been observing all of this.
She turned her gaze back to Yue Rujing’s face, pulling a smile on her lips, and spoke lightly, "Sure!"
Yue Rujing stepped aside with a smile, and Gu Youyou brushed past him, entering the room.
Lin Qianqing wanted to follow, but Yue Rujing blocked her at the door.
"Miss Lin, I have important matters to discuss with my senior sister. When we are finished, I will personally escort her back to the Lin Residence."
Since Lin Qianqing was stopped, there was no need to mention the other two; they could only stand awkwardly outside the door, watching as Yue Rujing closed it with a bang.
People who were unexpectedly snubbed returned to their own reserved private room, calling Lin Qianqing with them.
She dared not go back alone; was she going to lose her cousin on their first outing and expect there to be a next time?
"Qianqing, who exactly is this Miss Gu? Isn’t she the cousin you mentioned before?"