Do you know: I am Qi Heng

Xiao Minglan stopped a few steps away and knelt down.

"What are you doing?"

Gu Tingye quickly stepped forward to help Minglan up, but then stopped, remembering the difference between men and women.

"Get up!"

Minglan kowtowed, and with Xiaotao's help, she stood up and said, "Thank you, Young Master Gu, for breaking into the house. I have no way to repay you, so this is all I can do."

"It was just a convenient thing to do, and besides, your brother and I are good friends, so there's no need for that!" Gu Tingye shook his head and said.

Minglan didn't speak, but turned around and took a package from Xiaotao's hand, handing it to Minglan and saying, "Before my mother passed away, she said she would give these knee pads to Young Master Gu as a token of her gratitude. I hope you won't find them unsuitable!"

Gu Tingye initially wanted to refuse, but seeing Minglan bowing and holding the package, he eventually reached out and took it.

Seeing that Gu Tingye had accepted the gift, Minglan curtsied to him and said, "May you have a safe journey, Young Master Gu!"

After saying that, he turned and left with his maid, returning to Old Madam Sheng's side.

Grandma Sheng took her hand and led her onto the boat.

Gu Tingye withdrew his gaze, handed the package to Shi Tou, and bowed to Sheng Changbai, saying, "Zecheng, you should get on the ship now. I should get on too. See you in Bianjing!"

Although both were going to Bianjing, the Sheng family had many female relatives, and it would be inconvenient for him to travel with them.

Fortunately, Gu Tingye is not short of money now, and he has chartered a boat himself.

See you in Bianjing!

Sheng Changbai returned the greeting, watched Gu Tingye board the ship, and when he saw Gu Tingye waving at him, he waved back.

Upon seeing this, Gu Tingye took the stone into the cabin.

"Sigh~"

Sheng Changbai sighed and turned to leave.

.........

In one of the cabins, Gu Tingye stared blankly at the finely crafted knee pads on the table.

He was too young to remember when his mother passed away, but later he asked Gu Yankai about his mother and maternal grandfather's family.

But Gu Yankai said that because Bai died in childbirth, his maternal grandfather not only hated the Gu family, but also disliked him very much.

Gu Tingye had no choice but to believe his father's explanation, because his maternal grandfather had never visited him or written to him since he could remember.

But last year he received a letter from his maternal grandfather, asking him to go to Yangzhou to inherit the family business.

Upon seeing the letter, Gu Tingye's first reaction was disbelief.

He questioned the messenger, asking why his maternal grandfather had ignored him for so many years if he intended to pass the family business to someone with a different surname.

However, he learned from the messenger that his maternal grandfather used to send messengers to Bianjing (Kaifeng) frequently in his early years.

They stopped writing letters because they never received a reply.

Gu Tingye found it hard to believe when he heard the news.

Although he has become somewhat dissolute in recent years, he does this mainly because no matter how hard he studies and practices martial arts, he cannot earn Gu Yankai's praise.

In his anger, he became somewhat self-destructive. He wanted to spite Gu Yankai, but he also secretly hoped that this method would make Gu Yankai pay more attention to him.

Gu Tingye found it hard to accept that his father had hidden the letter his maternal grandfather had given him.

He sent the messenger back to Yangzhou first, while he himself returned home in a rage.

After arriving home, Gu Tingye confronted Gu Yankai, questioning him about whether his maternal grandfather had truly never written him a letter over the years.

Gu Yankai was furious upon hearing this, and rebuked Gu Tingye, even threatening to use family discipline on him.

From his father's reaction, Gu Tingye understood that what the messenger said was true.

Unable to accept this blow, Gu Tingye immediately ran out of the Gu family home.

After calming down, Gu Tingye prepared to go to Yangzhou to find out the truth.

He didn't have enough money, but he happened to run into the Yuan family on their way to Yangzhou to deliver betrothal gifts, so he boarded their betrothal ship.

Unfortunately, by the time he arrived in Yangzhou, his maternal grandfather had already passed away.

It was only through the wet nurse, Granny Chang, that I learned about what happened back then.

After learning the truth, Gu Tingye was filled with hatred for Gu Yankai.

Gu Yankai not only caused his mother's early death, but also prevented him from seeing his maternal grandfather all these years, and he didn't even get to see him one last time.

But after all, he was his father. Gu Tingye developed a desire to escape. After handling his maternal grandfather's funeral, he remained in Yangzhou and was reluctant to return to the capital.

In fact, the reason he is willing to return to the capital now is largely due to Minglan's influence.

Minglan was only seven or eight years old when, in order to save her mother, she braved obstacles and crawled out of a dog hole to fetch a doctor.

At that time, Minglan was in tears, pleading with him for help, but she never thought of giving up, which touched him deeply.

That's when he decided to return to the capital and confront Gu Yankai in person.

"Young master, the boat has already left the dock and entered the canal."

Stone walked into the room, a hint of excitement in his eyes.

Gu Tingye snapped out of his reverie and said, "Okay, I understand. Go and rest."

"Yes!" Stone bowed and withdrew.

Hearing the door close, Gu Tingye got up, went to the bed, and lay down fully clothed, a hint of annoyance in his eyes.

Although he was determined to return to Beijing to confront Gu Yankai, once he embarked on the journey back, he felt an urge to escape.

He already believed it in his heart, after all, Gu Yankai seemed to have disliked him since childhood.

No matter how hard he tried, Gu Yankai never praised him even once.

The reason he still went back to question Gu Yankai was entirely due to a sliver of wishful thinking in his heart.

What if there's something else going on, and it's not what Granny Chang said?

But he was also afraid that if he got a positive answer from Gu Yan, he would lose even that last bit of hope.

What should he do then?

……

The journey from Yangzhou to Bianjing by waterway was upstream and not very fast.

It took half a month for the ship to reach Bianjing.

"Young master, isn't Bianjing far too prosperous?"

Stone, carrying his luggage, stood at the bow of the boat, looking around as if he couldn't take it all in.

As the seat of a prefecture, Yangzhou was one of the important cities in Jiangnan and was already very prosperous.

However, the Yangzhou wharf was worlds apart from the Bianjing wharf.

A dozen or so boats were moored at the dock, and laborers were shouting work chants as they unloaded cargo from the boats.

On some passenger ships, people from all over the country are disembarking.

The dock was crowded, yet orderly and without any chaos.

"This is still outside the city; the city itself is much more prosperous!" Gu Tingye said.

Upon hearing this, Shi Tou could hardly imagine how prosperous Bianjing would be.

Just then, the boatman came to announce, "Young Master Gu, we will be docking soon. Please enter the cabin first!"

There were too many ships at Bianjing Wharf, and there was a queue to dock.

If left outside, they could easily fall into the water if the boat accidentally collided with it when it came to shore.

Once the ship docked, Gu Tingye left the pier with Shi Tou.

On a carriage by the roadside outside the dock, Gu Tingwei stood looking around. When he saw Gu Tingye in the crowd, he quickly waved.

"Second brother!"

"Third brother!"

A smile appeared on Gu Ning's face as she quickly went to greet him.

Hearing the commotion, Madam Qin stepped out of the carriage. Seeing Gu Tingye, she smiled with delight and said, "Second Brother, you're finally back! Let me see you!"

Gu Tingye had no time to chat with Gu Tingwei, as he was pulled aside by Madam Qin and scrutinized for a while.

.........

"Young master, please have some refreshments!"

Inside the Purple Bamboo Garden, Qi Heng lay on a rocking chair, holding a sketchbook.

Peony, accompanied by two maids, brought over some snacks and tea.