Although Gu Qingcheng’s clothes were still wet, Du Lanyue did not mind. Her embrace, which began hesitantly, eventually became firm as she tightly held Gu Qingcheng.
Then, inexplicably, Du Lanyue began to cry uncontrollably, her face buried against Gu Qingcheng’s chest.
Girls truly are made of water. Soon, Gu Qingcheng’s chest felt warm and even wetter.
“Alright, don’t cry anymore. I’m fine. I won’t be so impulsive again. If I’m going to dive for a long time, I’ll definitely pop my head up to let you know.”
Gu Qingcheng immediately understood why Du Lanyue was crying so hard and quickly began to self-reflect.
Gu Qingcheng might not have many other talents, but her ability to self-reflect was top-notch.
Back when she was on the archery team, after classes and training every day, the coach would make the entire team engage in self-reflection. The topics included:
Why did you miss the target today?
Were you thinking about the male players next door?
…
When Gu Qingcheng first started these self-examinations, she found these bizarre reasons utterly speechless.
However, it wasn’t until she participated in official competitions that she realized how necessary such self-reflection truly was.
Because, during a competition, if one was distracted by handsome male players, their mind wandering, their focus wavering, it would indeed affect their performance!
Gu Qingcheng’s journey of self-reflection rapidly advanced.
Applying it to the present situation, she handled it with practiced ease.
Therefore, with just a few words and a sincere attitude, she quickly comforted Du Lanyue.
“You want a next time?”
Du Lanyue, still tearful, angrily punched Gu Qingcheng’s shoulder with her small fists.
Gu Qingcheng felt like Du Lanyue was a little cat. The strength she exerted seemed to be her maximum effort, but it felt like a mere tickle against Gu Qingcheng.
The two embraced again for a while longer. Du Lanyue finally stopped crying and then suddenly said,
“Your clothes are all wet. You’ll get sick if you keep wearing them. Go by the fire and dry off quickly.”
“It’s fine, I brought extra clothes.”
Gu Qingcheng said casually, seizing the opportunity.
The more relaxed her attitude, the less suspicious Du Lanyue would become.
Various strange items would occasionally pop out of Gu Qingcheng’s bag, but Du Lanyue, caught in the “aura” that Gu Qingcheng created, like being gaslit, had lost her guard entirely and found nothing strange about it.
“Then change quickly.”
Du Lanyue urged anxiously.
Seeing that Du Lanyue cared more about her well-being than the treasures retrieved from the water, Gu Qingcheng was deeply touched.
“Okay, I’m strong and healthy, I’ll be fine.”
Despite saying this, Gu Qingcheng sneezed forcefully.
“Quick, back to the cave to change.”
Du Lanyue pulled her along towards the cave without further ado.
Gu Qingcheng remembered to drag her chest along with her, explaining with a cheerful smile as they walked back:
“I’ll drag it back now to save myself another trip later.”
“Alright. I’ll help you.”
Du Lanyue reached out to help Gu Qingcheng but found she couldn’t budge the chest at all.
This was awkward.
Du Lanyue asked, “It’s that heavy?”
“Mm, probably another chest of gold bars.”
Even though she hadn't opened the chest yet, Gu Qingcheng already knew the answer.
The appearance and weight of this chest were identical to the one she had previously hauled up, which contained gold bars.
“Gold bars again? Heavens, what kind of gang was this?”
Du Lanyue exclaimed in amazement.
“Naturally. They probably took advantage of the natural disasters to rob people, which is why they were so successful. Think about it, during times of fleeing, everyone carries their wealth with them.”
Gu Qingcheng analyzed.
“Makes sense. Sigh!”
Du Lanyue sighed softly, seemingly recalling the days of fleeing.
Fortunately, she had her parents’ protection, and her family had remained safe. She and her sister had not suffered greatly.
But not everyone was as fortunate as her.
Gu Qingcheng easily dragged the chest into the stone chamber. Because the coal had been burning continuously, the chamber was as warm as spring.
Upon entering, Gu Qingcheng immediately felt warm and couldn’t help but sneeze several times.
Gu Qingcheng picked up her bag and pretended to take out clothes.
“You, you can change in here. It’s warm. I won’t look.”
Du Lanyue quickly turned her back and declared her intention.
“It’s nothing, you can look.”
Gu Qingcheng said dismissively.
When she was on the archery team, they sometimes trained in the north during winter. The bathhouses were communal, and everyone saw each other naked. So, changing in front of Du Lanyue didn't faze her at all.
Du Lanyue, however, had turned away. Gu Qingcheng was shameless, but she couldn’t be.
A rustling sound of clothes changing could be heard. After a while, Gu Qingcheng said,
“I’m done changing. You can turn around now. Ah, it feels so comfortable to be in dry clothes.”
“Your hair is still wet. Go by the fire and dry it.”
Du Lanyue turned around and saw Gu Qingcheng in a set of dry clothes. The material was the same as before, but the color was different – a light blue, which made her look dashing and handsome, with refined features.
Du Lanyue dared not look directly, only gently urging,
“Oh, aren’t you in a hurry to see the treasures in the chest? What if it’s not gold bars? What if it’s just rocks?”
Gu Qingcheng teased her with a smile.
“It doesn’t matter, as long as you’re okay.”
Du Lanyue blurted out.
This was truly how she felt.
“Haha, your words are just like my mother’s!”
Gu Qingcheng chuckled.
“Your mother? What kind of parents do you have? You’ve never mentioned them.”
At this moment, Du Lanyue seized the opportunity to ask.
Seeing that Du Lanyue wasn’t rushing to examine the chest, Gu Qingcheng knew she had put her at ease. She sat down by the fire to warm herself.
Her damp hair was indeed uncomfortable. Sitting by the fire made it feel drier.
Du Lanyue also sat beside her, then poured her a bowl of hot tea that had been simmering over the fire.
Gu Qingcheng took the tea and took a sip, saying contentedly,
“My father was a doctor, and my mother, well, she was good at interacting with people and had a great way with words. They were very loving, and I grew up watching them dote on each other.”
Gu Qingcheng spoke eloquently.
Treating Du Lanyue as her best friend, Gu Qingcheng didn’t focus on the matters of Phoenix Village but instead spoke of their current prosperity and scale. Du Lanyue listened with rapt attention.
She had never imagined that Gu Qingcheng, single-handedly, had built a village base where the villagers now lived such comfortable lives.
Gu Qingcheng’s capabilities surpassed those of any young master from noble families.
This made Du Lanyue wonder what kind of parents could have raised such an outstanding son as Gu Qingcheng.
“When can I visit your Phoenix Village and see its scenery?”
Du Lanyue couldn't help but ask after hearing the latter part.
“You’re welcome anytime. We can go when we head out this time, as long as your family doesn’t object.”
Gu Qingcheng knew that travel was unsafe at the moment, and most parents wouldn’t allow their children to travel far, especially a beautiful girl like Du Lanyue. Therefore, she wasn’t entirely confident.
“Then I will definitely go. If I talk to my parents properly, they’ll agree.”
Du Lanyue’s unspoken thought: If she were Gu Qingcheng’s fiancée, her parents would certainly let her go.
Of course, Gu Qingcheng couldn’t have guessed such deep intentions.