I have a composite mirror

In front of the Crane Style Boxing School, several disciples were sweeping up fallen leaves.

Withered yellow sycamore leaves piled up on the bluestone slabs, were swept up by the morning breeze, and then slowly fell back down.

"Rumble..."

A muffled engine noise broke the silence.

The sound grew louder as it approached, causing the bluestone slabs to tremble slightly.

The disciples who were sweeping stopped what they were doing and looked in the direction of the sound.

At the end of the street, a completely black vintage car was slowly driving by.

The car body was square and had sharp lines, gleaming with a faint, cold light in the morning glow.

The most eye-catching feature is the emblem on the car door – a white deer carrying a lingzhi mushroom, surrounded by auspicious clouds.

This is the clan emblem of the White Deer Royal Palace!

"Th-that is..."

The broom in the sweeping disciple's hand fell to the ground with a "thud".

He grew up in the provincial capital, so he naturally recognized what the emblem represented.

The White Deer Royal Palace, a remnant of the previous dynasty, is now in decline.

But even a starved camel is bigger than a horse; it is still one of the top families in the provincial capital.

Why would someone like this appear in front of the Crane Style Boxing Gym?

The vintage car slowly came to a stop in front of the martial arts school gate.

The car door opened, and a driver in a black uniform got out.

The driver was about forty years old, with a square face and a burly build; it was clear at a glance that he was a trained martial artist.

He walked straight to the entrance of the martial arts school and cupped his hands in greeting to the stunned disciples:

"May I ask, is Young Master Gu Shenyan at your residence?"

The disciples looked at each other, unsure how to respond.

It was one of the older ones who reacted and quickly said:

"Yes, yes! Please wait a moment, sir, I'll go and inform them right away!"

After saying that, he took off running inside.

The news caused an uproar throughout the martial arts school.

The carriage from the White Deer Prince's Mansion was actually here to see their young master?

What... what's going on here?

The disciples gathered in twos and threes, whispering among themselves.

Some say the young master has probably climbed the social ladder, others say it must be a misunderstanding, and still others say...

"What are you all standing there for? Get to work!"

A sharp shout interrupted the crowd's discussion.

Zhao Qingyun, dressed in a tight-fitting outfit, walked from the direction of the martial arts arena.

His face was rather grim, his gaze fixed on the old car outside the door, his brows furrowed tightly.

The White Deer Prince's Mansion? When did that sickly young master get involved with such a powerful family?

A strange, indescribable emotion welled up inside him, a mixture of doubt and a touch of... resentment.

He had been training diligently at the martial arts school for over a year and was about to break through to the level of martial arts master, becoming the number one in the school.

But when it comes to connections, he still can't compare to this good-for-nothing who can't even fight.

"Senior brother, that car..."

Zhang Hu's voice came from behind, his tone full of envy.

"What are you looking at!"

Zhao Qingyun shouted sternly, "Disperse, everyone! Go do what you were doing!"

………………

When Gu Shenyan received the news, he was tidying his clothes in his room.

Two days ago, after Bai Cailing returned from hunting water monkeys with her team, she sent someone to deliver an invitation.

They said they were going to host a banquet at a teahouse and invited him and his sister to attend.

He had expected a car to pick him up today, but he didn't expect the other party to be so high-profile.

Driving the car right in front of the martial arts gym, is this... to show off to himself?

He chuckled inwardly, yet couldn't help feeling a touch of emotion.

This Princess Bai is truly a remarkable person.

"Young Master!"

Shi Quan's urgent voice came from outside the door:

"A rickshaw has arrived outside! They say it's from the White Deer Prince's Mansion!"

"I see."

Gu Shenyan straightened his clothes and pushed open the door to go out.

"Brother Quan, go and tell Weiwei to come over. My sister and I are both going out today."

Shi Quan was taken aback for a moment, then nodded in agreement.

Although he didn't understand the relationship between the young master and the White Deer Prince's Mansion, he believed that the young master knew how to act appropriately.

Gu Shenyan walked through the corridor and headed towards the main gate.

Along the way, disciples kept bowing to him, their eyes filled with awe and curiosity.

Those gazes were very different from usual.

In the past, they looked at him with a hint of disdain and indifference.

After all, what kind of status can a young master who doesn't even know martial arts have in a martial arts school?

But today… Gu Shenyan’s lips curled up slightly.

This is the human heart.

Opportunism and changing one's stance according to the wind are common occurrences in the world.

He didn't blame these people; he was simply more convinced of his belief that in this world, strength and background are both indispensable.

Arriving at the front yard, they bumped into Gu Sidu.

The latter, dressed in a gray long gown, was standing under the eaves.

"Father."

Gu Shenyan stepped forward and bowed.

"Hmm." Gu Sidu nodded, and after a moment of silence, he spoke:

"The carriage from the White Deer Prince's Mansion...is it here to pick you up?"

"Yes." Gu Shenyan said frankly, "Princess Bai is a friend I made at the Xuanji Association, and I am hosting a banquet to invite her today."

Gu Sidu was somewhat surprised to hear this.

He wanted to ask more questions, but the words stuck in his throat.

Well then, since my son has the ability to befriend such people, why should I, his incompetent father, ask any more questions?

"Go."

He waved his hand, his tone unusually tinged with a hint of relief:

"Since you are invited by a friend, do not be impolite."

Gu Shenyan nodded and turned to walk towards the gate.

………………

Outside the gate, the black vintage car was parked quietly.

The driver, who was standing beside the car, quickly stepped forward and bowed when he saw Gu Shenyan emerge.

"Young Master Gu, I have come to greet you on the orders of the Princess."

Thank you for your trouble.

Gu Shenyan nodded, but his gaze remained fixed on the car.

Men love cars, and he felt that although the car's design was old, it looked very impressive up close.

Seeing this, the driver's face showed a hint of smugness:

"This Mercedes-Benz was brought from Europe by the Prince two years ago. There's only one in the entire provincial capital."

"The shipping alone cost over a hundred dollars."

Hundreds of dollars? Gu Shenyan clicked his tongue in amazement.

This is just the shipping cost; the price of the car itself is probably even more staggering.

Although the White Deer Prince's Mansion has declined, its heritage is still unmatched by ordinary families.

Just then, footsteps came from behind.

The old woman helped Gu Shenwei walk over slowly.

The young woman had changed into a light blue ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) today, and her long hair was simply tied up in a bun, adorned with a silver hairpin.

Although she was dressed simply, her delicate face was so captivating that it was impossible to look away at first glance.

She walked slowly, but with a smile on her face and her eyes sparkling as she looked at the old car with great curiosity.

"Brother, is this what foreign cars are like?"

"Yes."

Gu Shenyan stepped forward and took his sister's hand:

"How about it, want to sit down for a bit?"

"think!"

Gu Shenwei nodded vigorously.

Although she grew up in the provincial capital, she rarely went out due to health reasons.

She had only heard about such novelties from other people, and had never seen them in person.

Seeing this, the driver quickly went forward and opened the car door:

"Please, both of you."

Gu Shenyan helped his sister carefully into the car.

The car door closed, instantly shutting out the noise outside.

"Brother, look at this!"

Gu Shenwei pointed to a small box next to the coffee table in the car, his tone full of surprise.

Gu Shenyan leaned closer and saw that the box contained rows of neatly arranged pastries: osmanthus cake, mung bean cake, jujube paste pastry...

Each item is exquisite and small, making them incredibly tempting to look at.

"This was specially prepared at the princess's request."

The driver's voice came from ahead:

"The princess said that the second young lady is frail and may not be able to withstand the bumpy ride."

"So tell the younger one to drive slowly and keep some snacks on hand in case he gets bored."