After eating her fill, Gu Qingcheng put the bowls and chopsticks back into the storage cabinet, wiped her mouth, and prepared to go out to check on the injured at the pharmacy.
She hadn't expected that just as she reached the inn's front desk, she would see Lanyue and a girl who resembled her, sitting at the tea table in front of the counter. They were holding cups of tea, sipping them leisurely, as if they were drinking a top-grade Wuyi Da Hong Pao.
In reality, the cups only contained water brewed with coarse tea stems from the inn. This made the innkeeper wonder if he had mistakenly put away the boss's premium tea, and he even picked up the teapot to sniff it.
Gu Qingcheng quickly called out, "Miss Lanyue, what a coincidence, running into you again?"
Lanyue hadn't expected to wait so long for Gu Qingcheng. Her face flushed, and she stepped forward, saying with a hint of shyness, "Young Master Gu, we came specifically to find you. This is my sister, Lanxing."
No wonder she looked so much like Lanyue; she was her sister. Gu Qingcheng quickly greeted Du Lanxing.
Lanxing was very lively. Seeing Gu Qingcheng up close, although she looked a bit thin, she was indeed spirited and possessed an aura that made people want to get closer to her.
She winked at her sister and stepped forward, saying, "Young Master Gu, elder sister made some delicious congee and pancakes, and brought them specifically for you. But the waiter said that Young Master Migguo instructed no one to disturb you when you went out to sleep, saying you were too tired yesterday."
"Ah? You've been waiting long? It's really nothing, since it's you, you could have woken me up immediately." Gu Qingcheng felt quite embarrassed thinking they had waited for so long.
Gu Qingcheng recalled Lanyue's life-risking actions yesterday. She thought Lanyue didn't know about the zombie island news and had specifically come to inform her, almost falling victim to the zombies. This filled her with gratitude.
She felt that these two sisters were friends worth befriending, and her attitude was naturally very warm. If Gu Qingcheng had been a frail person with no strength to even tie a chicken, Lanyue's actions yesterday would have been tantamount to saving her life; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call her a life-saver.
Du Lanxing saw how easy-going Gu Qingcheng was and couldn't help but think, "Everyone says Young Master Gu is resourceful, unapproachable, and skilled at cunning arguments. I guess they were all wrong. He is so warm and effusive, making people feel like they are basking in a spring breeze, nothing like the evaluations others give."
Du Lanxing chatted with Gu Qingcheng familiarly. However, Du Lanyue, standing beside them, was filled with romantic thoughts and felt a bit shy and hesitant to express herself openly. Seeing her sister strike up a rapport with Gu Qingcheng so quickly, she couldn't help but feel envious of her sister's ability to converse freely and eloquently with Gu Qingcheng. Whenever she wanted to speak in front of Gu Qingcheng, her mind would suddenly go blank, and she wouldn't know what to say.
At this moment, Gu Qingcheng seemed to notice her embarrassment and approached her warmly, saying, "Sister Lanyue, you've worked hard. You must have been greatly startled yesterday, yet you still remembered to make congee for me this morning."
Kind words warm the heart. Gu Qingcheng's thoughtfulness immediately made Du Lanyue happy. She said, "Young Master Gu, please eat it while it's hot. I packed it in a thermal container, so it should still be warm."
It was more than just not cold; because the thermal container had good insulation, the congee was as hot as if it had just been cooked when it was brought out. Gu Qingcheng had just enjoyed a meal in her room. She was still full, but because she hadn't eaten last night and this morning, her digestion was quick. Seeing the seafood congee Du Lanyue had made, her appetite returned.
"Sister Lanyue, I'll find some time later, once the new residence is renovated, to host a family banquet for you both." She intended to befriend these sisters and thus extended such an invitation. She planned to personally cook a few local dishes they wouldn't find elsewhere, together with Migguo.
Upon hearing this, Lanyue's face flushed with excitement as she responded and began pouring the congee into bowls. Gu Qingcheng was staying at the inn, so it was inconvenient to take them to her room. Therefore, they sat down at a dining table by the lobby to eat. People were coming and going in the lobby, and in such a public place, she wasn't afraid of what others might say.
In the Great Zhou Dynasty, there wasn't the strict gender segregation and avoidance that Gu Qingcheng had imagined. Normal interactions were permissible, as long as they didn't cross the boundaries of illicit affairs or elopement. As long as there was no marriage contract, normal interactions between men and women wouldn't draw much criticism. Many people even secretly courted each other before informing their parents and sending matchmakers for formal proposals. Therefore, the influence of feudal Confucianism wasn't strong in the Great Zhou Dynasty. Furthermore, after the cataclysmic natural disasters, many people's mindsets had changed. Having witnessed so many separations and deaths in the midst of the disasters, and even more unbearable circumstances, and humiliating acts committed for survival, people's tolerance levels had greatly increased, and their attitudes had become much more open. Interactions like Gu Qingcheng's with Lanxing and Lanyue in a public setting did not attract much attention.
Eating the beef congee meticulously prepared by Lanyue, Gu Qingcheng found the taste to be excellent. She finished a bowl of congee and even ate the mille-feuille pancakes that Lanyue had personally fried. Then, with a satisfied sigh, she pushed aside the bowls and chopsticks, saying, httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět "Thank you, Sister Lanyue, for getting up early to make me congee."
"You're welcome. It's all thanks to you saving all the island's residents. Everyone outside is calling you a great hero now. Countless people would love to make you congee." Lanyue finally found a topic of conversation and regained some of her composure. She was already stunningly beautiful, and her shy, charming demeanor as she spoke made her even more radiant, like a lotus emerging from water. Both men and women couldn't help but praise her beauty. The two daughters of Boss Du had always been kept in seclusion, unknown to the outside world. During the natural disasters, they had been well protected by Boss Du and had basically not suffered much hardship. Of course, living in a family like Boss Du's, they understood the dangers and hardships of the world. After all, having a father like Boss Du meant they likely heard information that ordinary people wouldn't. However, in front of Gu Qingcheng, they felt they could be themselves and let down their guard. This was likely due to the heroic aura Gu Qingcheng possessed after leading everyone to defeat the zombies. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been naive, sheltered rich girls easily deceived by Gu Qingcheng's appearance. They had witnessed all of Gu Qingcheng's efforts, which was why they implicitly trusted her.
"Sisters, do you have any plans for today?" Gu Qingcheng wanted more interaction with them to foster their friendship. Lanyue and Lanxing had no intention of leaving immediately, as they felt that someone as busy as Gu Qingcheng might not be seen again for a long time if they parted ways now. It was fortunate that he had slept late today; otherwise, how could they have met so easily?