Quick Travel to the Clouds

Chapter 691 My Family 9

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The private room at Cuiminglou was by the window, overlooking the winding waterways of Meizhou City. Yun Chu specially chose a window seat, ordered several plates of exquisite seasonal tea and snacks, and then sat leisurely with her sister Tang Yunmo to enjoy tea.

"Sister, is this tea and snack still palatable?" Yun Chu held a cup of tea, her gaze seemingly casually sweeping over the bustling street below.

Tang Yunmo was feeling rather bored, and casually replied, "It's alright, but it's not as good as Kangdu's..." Before she could finish speaking, a series of light footsteps and whispers came from the stairwell.

A figure appeared at the corner of the stairs.

He was a young man around nineteen years old.

He wore a moon-white silk robe, simple and elegant, with only a warm, lustrous jade pendant at his waist. As he walked, his sleeves fluttered lightly, his posture relaxed and unhurried, possessing a natural, flowing grace.

His face was handsome and refined, as if meticulously painted, with eyebrows like distant mountains shrouded in mist and lips as pale as cherry blossoms. Most striking was his overall demeanor, like a piece of warm jade gently polished by flowing water—gentle, serene, and imbued with a profound scholarly air. Led by his attendant, he was about to enter a nearby private room.

When his figure was fully revealed in the bright window light, and his face turned this way—time seemed to stand still.

The white magnolia flower cake in Tang Yunmo's hand fell into the celadon dish with a "thud" and shattered into several pieces. She was completely unaware of it.

Her eyes, which had been languid and bored moments before, then momentarily lost in thought, and then quickly ignited with an unprecedented brilliance, were firmly fixed on that gentle and jade-like face.

A faint, intoxicating blush, like that of peach blossoms, spread visibly across her cheeks, reaching all the way to the tips of her delicate ears. Her red lips parted slightly, as if she had forgotten to breathe; only her strikingly bright eyes betrayed the most direct excitement and amazement in her heart.

It was a gaze of complete absorption, tinged with the innocent shyness of a newly thawed ice river in early spring, yet frankly captivating. It was no longer a pursuit of fleeting vanity, nor a possessive desire to flaunt one's achievements, but rather the first time a young girl's heartstrings had been truly touched by a figure that perfectly matched her dreams.

Perhaps because the gaze was too focused and intense, the white-robed young man seemed to sense it, and slightly turned his head, casting his clear and gentle gaze toward the window on the second floor of Cuiming Tower.

Eyes met!

Tang Yunmo's heart felt as if it had been suddenly gripped by an invisible hand, and then pounded wildly in the next instant!

Almost in a split second, she darted back into the window frame, crouching low and hiding like a frightened little rabbit.

She covered her burning cheeks with one hand, her heart pounding so hard that even her neck turned pink.

"Oh dear, what's wrong with Miss Yunmo?" Xia Lian, the maid beside her, asked in a low voice, puzzled.

Yun Chu saw it clearly, and a weight lifted from her heart, a relieved smile curving her lips.

She gently picked up a perfectly intact pastry and handed it over, her voice carrying a barely perceptible ease: "Sister, the pastry fell, have another one?"

Looking at her sister's head, which was almost buried in her collar, she was certain: this flutter of the heart was completely different from the superficial enthusiasm she had shown when pursuing Fan Shaojie in the past. Her sister was truly in love.

Ever since that fleeting glimpse at Cuiminglou, Tang Yunmo seems like a completely different person.

Her usual energetic and lively spirit vanished without a trace. She often sat by the window, holding a handkerchief, lost in thought, gazing at the crabapple blossoms in the courtyard. Her gaze drifted far away, and in her eyes, the crimson petals seemed to be crushed and transformed into the gentle profile of a white-robed gentleman.

She no longer talks about Fan Shaojie, and even the sound of wind chimes rustling through the eaves would inexplicably make her blush.

Yun Chu leaned against the soft couch, looking at her sister through the half-open diamond-shaped window.

The once wild and cheerful older sister now had a thin layer of sorrow between her brows. Her fingertips unconsciously drew circles on the smooth tabletop, her lips sometimes pursed tightly, sometimes revealing a barely perceptible dimple, which was then tinged with more shyness.

That budding romance, that sense of gain and loss, shrouded her like a veil, revealing a tenderness and unease she had never felt before.

"This won't do..." Yun Chu sighed silently in her heart. The older sister she knew should be someone who dared to love and hate, as bright as the sun, not someone so absent-minded and timid.

This is definitely not the Tang family's eldest daughter who said she wanted to venture into the world or who could stand with her hands on her hips and scold her servants.

Seeing her sister caught in this bittersweet unrequited love, Yun Chu understood that someone needed to give her a push.

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The day off arrived quickly. Gu Ting arrived as promised and was playing a game of Go with Tang Yunlian in the front hall. The black and white pieces landed on the board with a crisp sound.

Seeing an opportunity, Yun Chu signaled Chunhua to call her brother. A short while later, a maidservant hurried in and bowed: "Young Master, Young Master Gu, Miss sent me to report that she has found one volume of the ancient book you mentioned a few days ago and wants to bring it to you to take a look. It's in the study."

Upon hearing that it was related to the ancient books Gu Ting liked, Tang Yunlian immediately stood up: "Found it? Brother Gu, please have a seat, I'll go get it!" Before Gu Ting could nod, she had already rushed out.

Gu Ting was the only one left in the front hall. Yun Chu, supported by Xia Lian, quietly appeared beside the screen at the entrance of the flower hall.

"Greetings, Brother Gu." Yun Chu nodded slightly in greeting, her voice still carrying a hint of frailty and gentleness, but her gaze was clear and sincere as she looked at Gu Ting.

"Miss Yun Chu." Gu Ting stood up and returned the greeting.

Yun Chu took a few steps forward, stopping two or three steps away from Gu Ting. She got straight to the point, lowering her voice and speaking earnestly: "Brother Gu, I have a favor to ask of you. Please forgive my abruptness."

Seeing her serious expression and a hint of anxiety in her eyes, Gu Ting was slightly surprised and said gently, "Miss, please speak freely. If it is within my power..."

Yun Chu glanced slightly towards the inner courtyard and said softly, "It's about my elder sister. I suppose Brother Gu noticed that her personality has changed a bit when he came last time..." She carefully chose her words, her voice filled with a girl's sincerity and pleading, "Last time at Cui Ming Lou, elder sister... elder sister seemed to... quite admire your friend, Young Master Jiang Junyou."

Upon hearing this, Gu Ting's eyes flickered slightly. Being a perceptive person, he already understood about 70-80% of the situation.

Yun Chu continued, "I know it's impolite to entrust this to you so abruptly, but my elder sister is usually so straightforward and never puts her mind so on. Seeing her so distracted... I really can't bear it. Brother Gu and Young Master Jiang are very good friends, I wonder... I wonder if you could find a convenient way to introduce them?"

"I don't ask for anything else, I just hope that you can have a chance to talk openly and honestly with Young Master Jiang for a while, so that you can get rid of this knot in your heart and restore your usual cheerful nature... That would be my greatest gratitude." As she spoke, she gave a deep bow, her eyes filled with a mixture of hope and worry.

Gu Ting looked at the slender, pale girl in front of him, so worried and protective of her sister, her feelings were genuine and heartfelt.

Jiang Junyou was indeed a close friend of his, a man of upright character and gentle temperament. After a moment's thought, he considered that the Tang family was also a kind and virtuous family, and although Tang Yunmo was somewhat spoiled, she was not inherently bad. If he could help his friend forge a good relationship, it wouldn't be a bad thing.

He raised his hand to help Yun Chu up and said in a deep voice, "Miss's love for her sister is truly touching. Brother Junyou is a gentleman, and it would be fate if he could get to know Miss Tang. As for this matter... I will do my best to arrange it."

His words were reassuring, and he gave Yun Chu a reassuring look. "Next time I have a day off, I will invite Brother Junyou to come and visit me at my residence."

A joyful light instantly shone in Yun Chu's eyes, like stars falling into a clear spring, and her voice became lighter: "Thank you, Brother Gu! Yun Chu thanks Brother Gu on behalf of my sister!" She knew that Gu Ting had agreed, so the matter was half settled.