"Why didn't you invite him in?"
"Brother Gu said he'd leave after asking a couple of questions."
Everyone exchanged glances. Zhang Junxue put down her brush and ventured, "Then should I go out first?"
"All right! Give it some proper thought first."
Zhang Junxue strode out. Only upon entering the courtyard did she realize how warm the room had been. In just a few steps, the chill had almost soaked through her body, but her heart was still warm, especially when she saw that familiar, friendly face beneath loose hair, above his single arm.
Although Pei Ye, Li Piaoqing, and the others were absent, she was delighted that Brother Gu could witness this moment.
"What is it, Brother Gu?" Zhang Junxue asked. The spring breeze had yet to fade from her face, and her eyes shone. Her next words were already going to be an invitation inside, to show him the brand-new short blade and the beautiful red silk bearing her name.
"Is Zhang Wenqian here?" the man asked directly.
Zhang Wenqian was the Zhang Family Head.
Zhang Junxue froze. A distinct divide had appeared between his mood and hers; the question was cold and discourteous.
"...No. Uncle hasn't come to the Prefectural City this autumn. What's wrong?" Looking at him, Zhang Junxue suddenly remembered this was not the first time she had heard that question.
Two days earlier, Li Piaoqing had asked her too, and told her to let her know if she saw the family head in the city.
Somewhere beyond her knowledge, something seemed to be happening.
"Come with me," Gu Guang said quietly.
They walked far from the compound. Looking at her, Gu Guang told her what had happened. "Zhang Wenqian is going to testify for Shang Huaitong about last year's Winter Competition."
"..." The blow