Chapter 154 - Courting Death (2)
Chapter 154 - Courting Death (2)
When Gu Yan told Lin Xiaofei that he had a favor to ask of her, she was surprised and was unsure what to answer.
That was the reason why she ended up nodding her head without thinking.
She released a sigh and looked around. Gu Yan told her to go to the gazebo near the garden, a place she hadn't visited ever since she arrived in the Qu residence. The gazebo was slightly hidden from the eyes as vines covered the fences that surrounded it while the garden upfront was also a perfect way to make people divert their eyes on the plants and flowers surrounding them.
If Gu Yan had not specifically told her to walk deeper into the garden, she wouldn't have noticed the gazebo.
But that wasn't the reason she sighed tiredly.
A ball of fabric lay crumpled on her lap. When Gu Yan gives it to her, it looked like a cloak but after it was given to her, she ended up ignoring its existence.
Or at least, she tried to.
"Young Madam, this cloak belongs to master. I was supposed to fix it by the end of the day but since I have other errands to do, I wish you could help this humble servant of yours." That was what Gu Yan told her after he reappeared in her room, carrying the neatly folded cloak.
At first, Lin Xiaofei wondered what she should do with the cloak and that's when she saw the tear at the hem of it.
It was a twelve-inch long tear. And from the looks of it, a slash from a sword might be the culprit why there was a tear in the cloak.
Holding the cloak before her so she could examine it, Lin Xiaofei could tell that the cloak was made of high-quality materials. It wasn't the kind of cloak that was made in the capital. The inside of the robe was made of satin and silk that could be found in the four kingdoms but there was a hint of roughness in the fabric outside, making her think of fur and scales.
Bringing the cloak close to her face, Lin Xiaofei tried to take a whiff of it. But upon realizing what she's doing, she threw the cloak to a spot on the ground which was in front of her.
Was she out of her mind?
Wasn't she just going to smell the cloak that belonged to Qu Xing Xu?
Lin Xiaofei was stunned at her actions.
Closing her eyes, she tried to calm herself. Why was she even doing this? Sewing someone else's cloak just because Gu Yan asked her to do it, that was so completely unlike her.
Qu Xing Xu should have other cloaks in his possession and a cloak less shouldn't bother him. He could easily buy another one with his money.
Thinking like this, Lin Xiaofei planned to go back to her courtyard. And just as she was about to rise, she paused in the middle of it.
Gu Yan's pitiful eyes flashed in her sight. His troubled look when he gave her the cloak proved that he was anxious with handling the cloak and wasn't ready to part from it.
It really seems that Qu Xing Xu will punish the old man if he didn't fix it on time.
Without a choice, since she brought this matter to herself, Lin Xiaofei started to pick up a needle. The earliest she was done fixing the cloak, the sooner she'll escape from Gu Yan and his master's hands.
Thankfully, Gu Yan thought carefully and made her come to this place. If her maids were to find out that she's stitching a man's cloak, they will surely make a fuss over it and might even think that she's sewing a betrothal gift for Qu Xing Xu.
As time ticked, Lin Xiaofei enjoyed the silence around her.
But that peaceful silence was short-lived.
"Brother Qu Xing Xu, aren't you going to change the flowers in here?" A sweet voice disrupted the silence that Lin Xiaofei enjoyed.
The female who asked didn't get a reply but she didn't give up as she continued to speak, "I also like the flowers that brother Xing Xu planted here but I heard that the Chu envoys brought several carts of rare plant seeds."
Lin Xiaofei didn't recognize the voice at first. She rarely recognized the voices of people who didn't give much of an impression on her but upon seeing the slightly obstructed three figures in the garden, she recognized their faces immediately.
It was the Bai sisters and Qu Xing Xu.
"Little sister is right. Why don't I order someone to buy some of these seeds so we could also plant it here?" Bai Feng Jiu assisted her sister.
Qu Xing Xu was still not giving them a reply, making the two sisters anxious to hear his answer.
Ever since they saw the flowers in the garden were replaced with poisonous plants, the Bai sisters couldn't sleep well. Especially Bai Jia Lia who found out that the garden was replaced as soon as the bride Qu Xing Xu picked himself arrived in the Qu residence.
It may look like it wasn't a big deal to others but Bai Jia Li was feeling intense envy over it.
She had been wishing to covet the garden and wanted to ask Qu Xing Xu for her to own it once her birthday comes so she could spend her time in the garden where his courtyard was nearest.
Her plan was simple. If she owns the garden, she'll be able to see him more and spend time with him. Eventually, he will fall for her humble nature and love for the garden.
And yet, even before her goal was realized, Lin Xiaofei arrived and took it from her!
How could she let this matter go?
"That's a great idea, elder sister!" Bai Jia Li cheered before turning to the handsome man in dark blue brocade on her side. "Don't you think so too, brother Qu Xing Xu?"
She raised her hand to touch his forearm and get his attention when she saw him looming at something else.
Something that was in front of them.
Following his gaze, Bai Jia Li squinted her eyes and looked ahead. She could see tall vines wrapping around what it looked like a fence.
She remembered that there was a gazebo placed deep in the garden and was intrigued by it. However, her interest didn't stay long as she finally noticed that in the gazebo, there was the female she hated the most.
She was seated on a chair, looking like an ethereal fairy in the middle of a forest.
And like Qu Xing Xu, the fairy was staring back at him.