Today was the day Gu Sipei had arranged to meet Lu Jiaoyue.
After asking her older sister's opinion last time and getting permission to spend time with Mr. Gu, Lu Jiaoyue had been preparing very seriously for their meeting.
No matter how she looked at it, she had been in the wrong for breaking their previous engagement. To express her apology, Lu Jiaoyue had even prepared a small gift especially for Gu Sipei.
The address Gu Sipei had given her was an estate. As soon as she got out of the car, the butler, who had been waiting at the entrance, approached to welcome her, then respectfully led Lu Jiaoyue inside.
When the ornate gates swung open, the afternoon sunlight fell at an angle across the white marble railings of the porch, its glare making Lu Jiaoyue squint.
Following him farther inside, she saw fountains bubbling on either side of the flagstone path. Droplets splashed against the wings of stone swans, scattering tiny glints of light.
The estate really was enormous. Even the walk from the gates to the house was quite a distance.
Only after passing along a long path planted with expensive varieties of flowers did the two finally arrive at the main house.
Once the servant stationed at the door pulled it open, a lofty entrance hall came into view. Spots of light cast by the crystal chandelier swayed gently across the floor, giving the ebony boards a soft, lustrous sheen. A series of famous paintings hung on the walls to either side, so many that it was hard to take them all in.
The moment Lu Jiaoyue entered, she began turning her head to look around, her eyes full of wonder. She even let out an involuntary "Wow."
Seeing her reaction, the butler smiled faintly and