Creditor

His voice was very low, and only Gu Shiyan and the people around her heard it. Gu Shiyan, with a look of confusion, lifted a corner of the carriage curtain to reveal a completely unfamiliar face. She spoke concisely, "I don't know who your Master is, please let me pass."

Upon hearing her words, the servant smiled.

Indeed, the master hit the nail on the head.

"My master said that the Miss still owes him a debt! It doesn't matter if you don't know him, it's a good opportunity to meet your creditor."

Gu Shiyan: ...

What creditor?

She didn't remember owing anyone a debt!

It was others who owed her blood debts.

The servant knew that she couldn't remember, so he kindly reminded her, "Perhaps Miss should think about what happened yesterday."

Gu Shiyan's mouth twitched. "Your Master is the owner of the carriage!"

Who did she owe?

Apart from forcibly commandeering someone else's carriage.

She carefully recalled it. The carriage looked ordinary from the outside, but the interior was entirely made of small leaf sandalwood.

Its owner must be someone low-key, luxurious, and cultured.

Most importantly, he was heartless!

They were clearly talking about her creditor.

They had come to collect compensation from her!

What could Gu Shiyan do?

Even if she ran away like a monk, she couldn't escape her debts!

She smiled gracefully, "It was my negligence. I should express my gratitude to your Master."

Note that she said gratitude, not repayment.

With Yunxiang's support, she entered the Youran Residence.

Youran Residence was the most expensive teahouse in the capital. To have a pot of tea here, one would need to make a reservation three days in advance, and the tea was exorbitantly priced.

Gu Shiyan had only been here once.

It was when Ji Beichen brought her here.

She ascended the steps slowly and asked a servant nearby, "May I ask who your Master is?"

She wanted to think of a strategy in advance!

The servant replied, "You'll know when you see him, miss."

Gu Shiyan: ...

Wasn't that the same as not saying anything?!

Surprisingly, the servant led her to a private room on the third floor.

A gleam flickered in Gu Shiyan's eyes.

When Ji Beichen brought her, they only went to the second floor. The third floor was inaccessible even if one had great power. Only a few prominent scholars of the time could step foot on the third floor. Whose carriage did she commandeer? She hadn't heard of any prominent scholars visiting the capital!

"Please, Miss!" The servant slowly approached and opened the door to the private room, gesturing for Gu Shiyan to enter. A wave of tea fragrance wafted out. Just as Yunxiang and Chaxiang approached, they were stopped by the servant. It was clear that they didn't have the qualifications.

Gu Shiyan gave them a glance, her face adorned with a slight smile, and confidently entered the room. Yesterday, she had been a bit fierce by accident. She hoped to salvage a little bit of a good impression.

Inside the room, incense was burning, and its scent blended harmoniously with the tea fragrance, refreshing the heart and mind. Upon entering, she was greeted by a large ink painting screen, clearly a masterpiece. Through the screen, Gu Shiyan could faintly see a figure in white behind it.

"Greetings, sir," she curtsied gracefully, a standard smile playing on her lips, revealing eight teeth and giving off an innocent and harmless vibe.

In public, she had to play the role of a naive girl.

How else could she deceive the enemy?

Without giving the person behind the screen a chance to speak, she continued, "Thanks to your noble act yesterday, saving a life is more meritorious than building a seven-story pagoda. I'm sure you will be blessed with great fortune and have all your wishes fulfilled!" She almost said, "Look at how much good karma you have accumulated. What else do you need?"

She looked down, pretending to be shy and demure.

The person behind the screen chuckled.

"My fortune is not as great as yours. Since you are so selfless, you probably won't be interested in the mundane items sent by the Duke Residence as compensation. Using them to compensate for my carriage is just right. What do you think?"

Gu Shiyan's face froze.

She really had no other choice!

Her eyes darted around as she tried to think of a way to keep her belongings.

Little did she know that the person behind the screen could see everything clearly.

The young man's gaze fell on her face. He watched as she wrinkled her brows and looked worried. A faint smile played at the corners of his mouth.

Hmm... this little thing is done pretending to be docile?

He suddenly remembered a cat he had raised when he was young. It appeared obedient and pleasing, but its claws were sharp.

After a moment, Gu Shiyan reluctantly accepted her fate. Fine, she would just have to pay the money. "May I know the price of your carriage, sir? I will have someone bring it over shortly." The items given to her by the old madam were not suitable for re-gifting. To be honest, her waist was still quite thick.

"Heh... that carriage isn't worth much, just a total of two thousand gold. You can send someone to pick it up!" The person behind the screen said lightly.

Gu Shiyan was stunned.

Her dazzling face was filled with astonishment.

What?

She hadn't misheard. He was asking for two thousand gold for a carriage!

What was the difference between sitting on a pile of gold every day?

He might as well just rob her.

Gu Shiyan panicked. She took a few steps forward, crossed the screen, and said as she walked, "Master, this is not appropriate! Your carriage is not even damaged. It only got a little bloodstained. It can be cleaned and still used. Why do I have to pay two thousand gold? This is unreasonable!"

The spring sunlight was at its best.

Dazzling yet gentle, it shone through the windows.

At first glance, she saw the young man sitting in a halo of light.

He was dressed in a white robe, adorned with ink-colored bamboo embroidery. Being not yet twenty, he only wore a jade hairpin on his head. His face was like jade, his eyes like stars, and his slightly upturned red lips exuded an extremely charming and elegant demeanor. Sitting there, he resembled a painting, incredibly handsome.

His beauty was boundless.

"Do I look like someone who can make do with things?" The young man's lips curled up lightly.

Gu Shiyan stood there, stunned, her face filled with shock.

It was him...