Chapter 148: Rong "Valuing Beauty Over Friendship" Ye

Following the direction of the voice, Gu Ci looked over and saw Qin Yu stepping out of the car, sporting a pair of giant panda-like dark circles under his eyes and yawning heavily.

As usual, Gu Ci kept her response concise, "I had some business to attend to, so I went home."

"I see," Qin Yu nodded. Seeing that Gu Ci did not ask why he was here, he felt a bit restless and volunteered the information, "Brother Ye asked me to come and pick something up."

Gu Ci replied, "I see."

Qin Yu felt that Gu Ci was entirely capable of killing any conversation dead in its tracks. She was simply... exactly like Brother Ye!

Just at that moment, the window of the backseat rolled down, revealing Rong Ye's exquisitely seductive face that could incite the wrath of both gods and men.

"Have you had lunch?"

Gu Ci checked the time and realized that noon had arrived unawares.

"Not yet."

"Classes haven't started at school yet this time of day. Would you like to join me for a meal?" Rong Ye said casually, as if mentioning it in passing. "I've happened to book a private dining room at the Guiyuan Manor. The chickens there are free-range, raised in the mountains for three to five years. The meat is tender and delicious, rich without being greasy..."

Hearing this, a string of massive question marks popped up over Qin Yu's forehead.

He had been running errands with Rong Ye all morning, and he hadn't heard this fellow utter a single syllable about going to eat!

Yet now that little Gu Ci had arrived?

Good heavens, he had even arranged for a visit to the Guiyuan Manor!

One had to know that the Guiyuan Manor was even harder to book than the Di Banquet!

This was not because the Di Banquet was lower in tier than the Guiyuan Manor, but rather due to the nature and scale of the restaurant itself.

The Guiyuan Manor accepted only eight reservation quotas per day.

In all his years in Songdu, the number of times he could go there in a single quarter could be counted on one hand.

Yet now, his Brother Ye had made arrangements without a word, and the mere mention of it was the Guiyuan Manor!

He was truly someone who favored women over friends!

Upon hearing about the free-range chickens raised in the mountains, Gu Ci's eyebrows twitched slightly, and she agreed.

After a moment of thought, she sent a message to Jin Jiejiao, offering a belated excuse.

Gu Ci hadn't thought of this earlier, but now that she remembered, she felt rather sorry for Jingjing...

Although the Guiyuan Manor carried the suffix of a manor, its interior scenery was actually akin to a classical Suzhou garden.

Rockeries stood in abundance amidst scattered landscapes, and pavilions and kiosks rose beside the tranquil waters, creating an atmosphere of secluded and delicate beauty.

Rong Ye's private room was located on a lakeside pavilion named Jiuzhou Qingyan.

The interior of the pavilion was also exceptionally distinctive.

The four carved wooden windows were etched with the motifs of plum blossoms, orchids, bamboos, and chrysanthemums respectively. Looking down from the windows, one could take in a sweeping view of most of the pavilions.

The serving speed at the Guiyuan Manor was neither fast nor slow, but every single dish was a masterpiece, leaving an unforgettable aftertaste.

Savoring the lingering flavor of the dishes, Qin Yu cast a slightly aggrieved look at Rong Ye.

"Brother Ye, since you were able to book a private room here, why didn't you ever tell me?"

Had he known earlier that his Brother Ye could freely come and go as he pleased at the Guiyuan Manor, he would have pestered him to dine here every single day.

Rong Ye gave Qin Yu a faint glance, then handed Gu Ci a wet wipe before leisurely replying, "You didn't ask."

Qin Yu choked, pondering that this was indeed the case, yet upon further reflection, he felt something was still not quite right...

Before Qin Yu could dwell on it further, Rong Ye stood up and looked at Gu Ci, "Shall I send you back to school?"

Qin Yu hurriedly dropped the matter and chased after the two of them, "Wait, Brother Ye, wait for me!"

Rong Ye glanced sideways at Qin Yu, his tone gentle as if discussing a matter with him, "I've already asked Rong Shan to come over. You can take his car directly later and head over there first."

Qin Yu, "???"

What kind of consultation was this that used a declarative sentence??

Furthermore...

Qin Yu couldn't help but chime in, "Brother Ye, why don't you have Rong Shan take little Gu Ci to school, and you just head back with me directly?"

Hearing this, Gu Ci slowly raised her head, "If you're busy, you should go ahead."

"Rong Shan will take a while to arrive. If we wait, you won't make it back for your afternoon classes," Rong Ye said with a smiling expression, adding as an afterthought, "And you won't be able to flag down a taxi here either."

However, the very next second, a tall and straight figure appeared at the other end of the corridor. After greeting the three of them, the person spoke in a stiff and rigid manner, "Young Master Ye, I have arrived."

The newcomer was none other than Rong Shan.

Maintaining the refined and cultured smile on his face, Rong Ye accidentally crushed one of the wooden beads he was twiddling in his hand...

Just at that moment, an exclamation of pleasant surprise came from not far away.

"Young Master Ye, Young Master Qin, are you dining here as well?"

Rong Ye lazily looked toward the source of the voice and saw Master Shen and his entourage walking out from an adjacent courtyard.

After the conclusion of the Piano Association's exchange meeting, several piano masters had not rushed to leave. One of them, a local piano master from Songdu, had booked a private room at the Guiyuan Manor a month in advance, allowing them to gather there today for mutual discussion and exchange.

Master Shen was pleasantly surprised and excited upon seeing Rong Ye, a figure he could rarely approach even while in the Imperial Capital.

To think that after coming to a small place like Songdu, he would run into him twice!

Only... when his gaze swept over Gu Ci standing nearby, he could not help but frown.