Chapter 254: Entanglement

Old Huang beckoned to her. "Come here."

The girl kept her head down, walking over timidly.

Gu Fei glanced at her and saw she was different from the day before. Her hair was now done in the style of a married woman, though she was still wearing yesterday’s clothes.

Old Huang pointed to Gu Fei. "This is Manager Gu." Then he pointed to Young Master Zhou. "And this is Young Master Zhou, the owner of the pawnshop next door."

"From now on, if you get bored at home, you can just spend your time here at the inn. Just don’t go running off outside."

The girl nodded.

Old Huang pointed to the girl again. "Her name is Que’er. You can just call her that from now on."

Young Master Zhou gave Old Huang a sidelong glance. "Well, well. Enjoying a second spring in your old age?"

Old Huang said helplessly, "Young Master Zhou, I’m just a pitiful old man. Why are you making fun of me?"

Young Master Zhou dropped the subject and picked up Yu. "Time to go home. If we don’t head back, your mother will come looking for you."

Old Huang smiled at Gu Fei. "I’m going to buy her a few new outfits." With that, he walked out.

Que’er stood in the main hall, looking around with a mixture of shyness and curiosity.

Lian’er led her to a seat and poured her a cup of tea.

Old Huang returned after about an hour, carrying a parcel.

Xiao Lu, who had gotten friendly with Old Huang, came over and asked with a smile, "What goodies did you buy, old sir?"

Old Huang wasn’t secretive. He placed the parcel on the table and opened it. Inside were several neatly folded sets of clothes, and resting on top was a pair of silver bracelets.

Old Huang handed the silver bracelets to Que’er. "I bought these for you. Go on, put them on."

Que’er’s eyes lit up with joy. She took the silver bracelets and admired them for a long moment before finally slipping them onto her wrists.

Que’er then gave Old Huang a bashful glance, and he looked back at her with a beaming smile.

Gu Fei couldn’t help but sense the affection of a loving married couple between them.

······

A few more days passed in a flash. That morning, with no customers in the inn yet, Gu Fei went next door to Young Master Zhou’s place to play with Yu for a bit. When she returned, she saw a figure standing in the main hall with his back to the entrance. Gu Fei’s eyes narrowed. ’It’s Shanzi!’

Standing in front of Shanzi was Xing’er.

Gu Fei entered at an unhurried pace. Xing’er shot her a panicked glance, then turned to glare fiercely at Shanzi. "Go away! This is where I work. What do you think you’re doing standing here?"

Shanzi stood there, planted like a post. "I’m not leaving. Unless you agree—I... I’m not leaving."

Gu Fei shot the pair a glance, then walked behind the counter and sat down. She asked Lan Zhi in a low voice, "When did he get here?"

Lan Zhi also replied in a low voice, "Just a moment ago. He came in and has been standing there ever since."

Gu Fei said nothing, merely watching the two of them with a calm expression.

Seeing Gu Fei return, Xing’er grew flustered. ’Working here is so much more interesting than being cooped up at home all day, and I can even earn money.’ Her biggest fear was that Shanzi or her mother would come and cause a scene, and Gu Fei would fire her.

She gritted her teeth and said to Shanzi in a low voice, "I will never agree to it. Go away. Hurry up and go! Little Fei is back!"

Shanzi stared at Xing’er, his voice also dropping low. "I’ll leave only after you promise to marry me."

Xing’er was furious. She stomped her foot hard, her voice rising uncontrollably. "Are you trying to force my hand by coming here? Do you want to see me humiliated, to make me want to die all over again?"

Shanzi grew flustered. He had been genuinely frightened the night Xing’er tried to kill herself. "That’s not what I meant, I—"

Suddenly, he gritted his teeth and knelt. "Xing’er, I know I shouldn’t have said those things. I was wrong. You can hit me or yell at me, I don’t care. I’m just begging you, please stop being angry out of spite. Marry me, please? I’ll have my mother go to your family to formally propose tomorrow. I’ll be good to you from now on, I promise. Please, believe me."