"Thank you for being so thoughtful."
Du Lanyue knew the workload would be immense upon hearing that.
Finding a house, planning the secret room, and recruiting personnel – Gu Qingcheng must have been swamped.
"Hehe, it's alright. It's more about being meticulous than strenuous."
Gu Qingcheng just needed to give instructions, and Wang Dapeng and the others would handle the tasks. But meticulousness was indeed required.
Without it, the arrangements wouldn't have been so thorough.
She didn't expect Du Lanyue to be grateful, but she felt that someone as outstanding as Du Lanyue, with whom she had shared life and death, deserved her full attention.
Since transmigrating, Gu Qingcheng had only confided in two "outsiders": Mi Guo and Du Lanyue.
Both knew her secret, yet both, out of affection, had shown her understanding and become people she could trust.
Du Lanyue went down to the secret room. Two chests of gold bars were already placed there.
Gu Qingcheng opened them for her to see. Two chests full of gold bars represented wealth that many people couldn't obtain in a lifetime.
However, Du Lanyue felt no stirrings.
Compared to gold bars, she craved a heart even truer than gold.
"Here, there's more. Mostly antiques. All confiscated from Young Master Huo. As people say, gold in times of chaos, antiques in times of prosperity. These are calligraphy, paintings, and some famous porcelain works. See which ones are convenient for you to liquidate."
"You've thought of everything."
Seeing Gu Qingcheng smiling radiantly, Du Lanyue couldn't help but reach out and pinch her cheek.
"Ouch, Sister Lanyue, why are you pinching me?"
Although it didn't hurt, Du Lanyue's action was completely out of character with her usual gentle and obedient persona.
Why did she seem a little mischievous?
But Gu Qingcheng found this vibrant Du Lanyue delightful, reminiscent of the playful banter and carefree joy she shared with her teammates in the past.
There was no need to be overly serious; everyone could be serious when needed and playful when it was time to play. No need to put on airs or act prematurely mature. It was good.
"Hehe, your cheeks are so chubby, like a squirrel's. I couldn't resist pinching them!"
Du Lanyue's smile was radiant.
Alright, it had been a while since she'd seen such a bright smile. As long as she was happy.
"As long as you're happy, pinch a few more times."
Gu Qingcheng even leaned her face forward.
In front of Du Lanyue, perhaps because she was a few years older, Gu Qingcheng felt an urge to act spoiled.
Seeing her so endearingly cute, Du Lanyue's heart melted.
It was hard to imagine that such a young girl commanded her father's respect.
Pinch again!
So good to pinch!
Du Lanyue found Gu Qingcheng's cheeks delightfully smooth and soft, unable to resist pinching them again and again.
The two of them playfully bickered.
Seeing Du Lanyue finally happy, Gu Qingcheng finally relaxed.
Back in the courtyard, Gu Qingcheng said to Du Lanyue:
"Sister Lanyue, I need to go back tomorrow. I might be gone for a while."
"Ah? Going back to your home?" Du Lanyue asked, feeling a sense of loss.
"Yes."
"How long will you be gone?" Du Lanyue inquired with concern.
"About a month. I have other matters to arrange, including disaster relief efforts for some islands," Gu Qingcheng explained.
"That will take a long time. A month isn't enough to settle everything," Du Lanyue said softly.
"Why don't you come back with me? My village is very interesting. You can see it, and I'll introduce you to my parents and friends from the village."
As friends, Gu Qingcheng felt a desire to introduce Du Lanyue to her family and friends.
"That's a great idea. I'll talk to my parents. You're really willing to take us back?"
Du Lanyue knew that if her parents agreed, they wouldn't just let her go alone; at least her sister would have to accompany her.
"Of course. Your brother can come too. I think visiting our village would be very inspiring for them."
Gu Qingcheng defined it as an educational trip.
She didn't know how Du Lanyue persuaded her parents, but in the end, they agreed. Du Lanyue's eldest brother, along with Lanyue and Lanxing, would all go. Of course, Steward Zhu and servants would accompany them.
Du Laoda's primary goal was to establish a lasting relationship with Gu Qingcheng. Their commercial cooperation needed to extend beyond their generation.
He was aging, and his children would eventually inherit his business. Therefore, arranging for his children to interact cordially with Gu Qingcheng was a shortcut.
Du Lanyue was overjoyed. Gu Qingcheng often spoke of her Phoenix Village, making her yearn to visit.
She never expected to fulfill this wish and meet Gu Qingcheng's parents.
For some reason, Du Lanyue felt a sense of apprehension as they neared her home.
The journey was smooth.
Du Lancheng, with his two younger sisters and younger brother Du Langong, headed to Phoenix Village for their educational trip.
Du Lancheng was five years older than Gu Qingcheng and was already beginning to take over his father's business. However, in his father's eyes, he still didn't measure up to Gu Qingcheng's youthful capability.
To be honest, Du Lancheng felt a bit resentful. This opportunity to visit Phoenix Village was gladly accepted, as he wanted to infiltrate "enemy territory" and thoroughly investigate why Gu Qingcheng was so capable.
In Du Lancheng's mind, Gu Qingcheng must have a good family background and strong support; otherwise, how could he be so successful at such a young age?
Success that relied on family wasn't true success, at least not in Du Lancheng's opinion.
Therefore, when his father asked him to take his siblings out to broaden their horizons, he saw it as a chance to find fault with Gu Qingcheng.
If he could expose Gu Qingcheng's flaws or find evidence of his reliance on his family, his father would stop constantly holding Gu Qingcheng up as an example and telling him to learn from him.
It was annoying.
However, Gu Qingcheng's subordinates were fiercely loyal to him, which made Du Lancheng feel even more resentful. What was so great about Gu Qingcheng?
He was young, didn't have a particularly sweet tongue, so why did his subordinates refer to him as "Young Master Gu" with such care and devotion?
Perhaps because Gu Qingcheng was young, they even seemed to dote on him.
His father spoke of Gu Qingcheng with a similar tone.
Du Lancheng asked Gu Qingcheng, "Young Master Gu, are we almost at your Phoenix Village?"
"Almost. We'll arrive this afternoon. When the water didn't flood the area before, we had to climb mountains, but now it's much easier," Gu Qingcheng replied.
"Mountains? Were those very high mountains? Did you live in the mountains before?"
Upon hearing this, Du Lancheng felt that living in the mountains didn't align with the family background Gu Qingcheng had cultivated.
"Yes, it was difficult at first. We were pioneers, living alongside wolves and tigers," Gu Qingcheng said calmly.
"Ah? That difficult? I heard you came from a prominent family?" Du Lancheng asked boldly.
Gu Qingcheng had been so friendly to him during the journey that he dared to ask such a private question.