Fire Captain

Sheng Changfeng is basically Bai Ziyang's informant in the Sheng Mansion, although Sheng Changfeng himself doesn't know that he has this function... Knowing that Gu Tingye is coming back and Bai Ziyang and Sheng Changbai are going to pick him up, he clamored to go with them early in the morning. He and Gu Tingye are like-minded, and he wishes he could get along better with him than with Bai Ziyang. After all, there are some places that Bai Ziyang doesn't like to go, such as Guangyuntai and the like.

On the day Gu Tingye returned, Bai Ziyang personally went to the city gate to greet him. Looking at the carriage behind Gu Tingye, Bai Ziyang raised his chin and asked, "Hey, what's going on?"

Gu Tingye smiled sheepishly and said, "Family, family!"

Bai Ziyang frowned and joked, "Okay, Gu Er, you really live up to your reputation as a playboy. You are always busy wherever you go! I admire you, I admire you!"

Gu Tingye smiled and said, "Thank you, thank you!"

Bai Ziyang said: "Do you really think I am praising you? I'll be surprised if Changbai doesn't say something nice when he sees you!"

Gu Tingye rode his horse side by side with Bai Ziyang, saying, "Since the girl has come to me for help, I feel sorry for her. I can't just ignore her, so I'll just... take her in."

Because Gu Tingye wanted to pay a visit to Mr. Zhuang as soon as he entered the city, Sheng Changbai and Sheng Changfeng waited at the door of the Sheng family. Gu Tingye first asked someone to settle the women, and then brought the stone directly to the Sheng Mansion.

"Second Brother Gu is here!" Sheng Changfeng had been waiting at the door for a long time. When he saw Bai Ziyang and Gu Tingye, he greeted them happily.

Sheng Changbai said: "Why did you only bring a stone? Where is the gift?"

Gu Tingye got off his horse and said, "No need to salute!"

Sheng Changbai said: "It's not like we'll come back empty-handed!"

Gu Tingye said: "Just a few boxes and a family..." His voice sounded a little guilty as he spoke.

As expected, Sheng Changbai looked at him with a half-frightened expression when he heard this, "Why do you have a family?"

Gu Tingye found it funny to see Sheng Changbai with a wrinkled face like an old man. He turned around to look at Bai Ziyang and explained in a nice way. Sheng Changbai then said helplessly: "Okay, okay, this is all gossip. Master Zhuang is about to start the class. Let's go quickly!"

Bai Ziyang came to rescue Gu Tingye and said, "Yes, yes, yes! Come, I'll take you to school!"

Gu Tingye was pushed inside by Bai Ziyang. As he walked, he turned back to look at Bai Ziyang with difficulty and said, "Hey? No, you sent me there? Why did you send me there? I'm already an adult, and I still need you to send me to school!"

After entering the Sheng family, Gu Tingye looked at Bai Ziyang who walked to the front to lead the way, and looked at Sheng Changbai with a puzzled look and asked: "Is this the Sheng residence? Why does Ziyang look more familiar with it than his own home?"

Sheng Changbai shrugged his shoulders, indicating that he didn't know either, with a helpless look on his face.

Bai Ziyang was hurrying along, and he saw Minglan sleeping soundly under the tree leaning on Xiaotao. Bai Ziyang turned around and said to Gu Tingye and the others, "Walk slowly!" After that, he quietly ran to the tree, first made a hushing gesture to Xiaotao, and then childishly took a leaf and quietly put it on Minglan's nose to tickle it a few times.

Minglan felt itchy, raised her hand and brushed it twice, and grumbled coquettishly: "Xiaotao, stop it...it's itchy~"

When Minglan was about to wake up from Bai Ziyang's harassment, she heard someone nearby calling out in confusion, "Mr. Bai? Sixth Miss?"

Bai Ziyang turned around and saw that it was Qi Heng. Minglan was also awakened by the voice and quickly stood up. When she turned around, she saw the two of them and greeted them hurriedly, "Young Master Qi, Master Bai!"

Qi Heng saw that the two were about to talk when Sheng Changbai and Gu Tingye came over. When Gu Tingye saw Qi Heng, he happily called out, "Yuan Ruo? Why are you here?"

When Qi Heng heard the shout, he turned around and was surprised to see Gu Tingye. He said, "Second Uncle? Shouldn't I be the one asking you this? I'm studying here now!"

Sheng Changfeng, who was following behind, asked curiously, "Young Master, why are you calling me Second Uncle?"

Bai Ziyang interrupted and explained, "Their two families are related by ancestry, and in this generation, Young Master Qi happens to be the nephew!"

Qi Heng was surprised to see this and asked, "How did Master Bai know this?"

Gu Tingye said: "Zi Yang and I have known each other since childhood, there is nothing we don't know about each other!"

Qi Heng saw Minglan and was about to introduce her to Gu Tingye when Bai Ziyang suddenly coughed twice. Sheng Changbai saw Bai Ziyang's look, reacted and said hurriedly: "Okay, let's not delay any longer. If we are late to see Master Zhuang, we will be punished." He then changed the subject and looked at Minglan and said: "...but the master will not be here early today. Since you are sleepy, you can go back and take a nap for half a cup of tea before going. Xiaotao..."

"exist!"

"Take care of your girl!"

"Yes!"

Seeing this, Qi Heng said, "Sixth sister, we'll take our leave now!" After that, he took Gu Tingye's hand and left happily.

Bai Ziyang then said to Gu Tingye: "Then go to class and I won't see you off!"

As a frequent visitor to the Qinlou and Chuguan, and a darling of the brothels, Gu Tingye knew what Bai Ziyang was going to do after taking a glance at his eyes, so he deliberately said, "Hey! Come on, didn't you just say you were going to take me to class?"

Bai Ziyang rolled his eyes and said, "What are you sending me? You are already an adult and still need someone to send you!"

Gu Tingye: ………………

After the group left, Xiao Tao calmly sat down and said, "Okay, girl, they've all left. Now that Second Brother has given you the message, you can just lean on me and take a nap for a while! Mr. Bai, you can sit down too!"

Facing Bai Ziyang's teasing look, Minglan slapped her in embarrassment and said angrily, "Do you really think you're asleep? Second brother was just...he was helping me avoid suspicion, fearing that others would see me walking the same way as the young master and the others."

Bai Ziyang looked at Minglan and said sourly, "It seems that the young master has deep feelings for you!"

Minglan widened her eyes, afraid that others would misunderstand her, and said anxiously, "Don't talk nonsense!"

Bai Ziyang sighed and said in a light voice: "Whether it is nonsense or not, anyway..." He stopped talking, raised his hand, and Tingfeng, who had been following not far away, came forward and handed him a cloth bag.

Bai Ziyang handed the cloth bag to Minglan and said with a smile: "Here, this is for you! Practice your calligraphy well! Haha~~" After saying that, he left with a smile.

Before Minglan could say anything while holding the cloth bag, Bai Ziyang turned and left. Minglan had no choice but to keep looking at Bai Ziyang's back until he disappeared.

Seeing that Minglan seemed to be stunned, Xiaotao called softly, "Miss, Miss?"

"Huh? What?" Minglan came back to her senses and asked.

Xiao Tao said: "Girl, you are stunned!"

Minglan said stubbornly, "No way!"

Xiao Tao looked at the bundle in Minglan's arms and said, "Miss, what did Mr. Bai give you?"

The master and servant sat on the side of the road and opened the bundle sent by Bai Ziyang. As soon as they opened it, Xiao Tao couldn't help but exclaimed, "What a beautiful inkstone!"

Minglan couldn't help but love the pen, ink, paper and inkstone in the cloth bag, and took them out to play with them carefully.

Indeed, what Bai Ziyang gave were all at tribute level. Knowing that Minglan no longer liked to show off, the pens, inks, paper and inkstones he selected were all low-key and elegant, their deep and restrained appearance concealing their preciousness.

Xiao Tao said, "When I was practicing calligraphy, I sometimes blamed the pen, sometimes the ink, and sometimes the paper. Now Mr. Bai is so thoughtful that he has provided you with all the pens, ink, paper, and inkstone. If you can't write well this time, I'll see what I'm going to blame!"

Minglan chuckled, poked Xiaotao and said with a smile: "Then I blame you! Haha..."

"Oh my... girl, can you blame me... but..." Xiao Tao dodged and shouted, "Girl, if we don't leave now, we will definitely be late!"

When Sheng Rulan and Sheng Molan received the pen from Minglan, they felt as if they had received it personally from Young Master Qi. They couldn't wait to use it in class. Qi Heng naturally recognized it at a glance and couldn't help asking Rulan about it. After knowing that it was Minglan who gave it to them, he looked at Minglan with some disappointment. Minglan was unable to explain and avoided Qi Heng's gaze, lowering her head and pretending to concentrate on grinding ink.

The brush, ink, paper and inkstone sent by Bai Ziyang are all famous products of the time. The purple brush with moderate hardness and softness is dipped in rich ink and written on the white rice paper. The ink marks are round and smooth. Looking at the handwriting under the pen, Minglan is secretly proud. Who said she can't write well! Humph...

Minglan was now very careful in her actions. She rejected the young master's kindness and then sent Xiaotao to deliver some snacks as an apology. As for the fact that the young master Qi choked on the snacks out of anger, that had nothing to do with her...

Young Master Qi originally gave the pen he had given to Ruolan and Molan out of spite for Minglan, but when he saw the new pen, ink, paper and inkstone that Minglan was using, he seemed to become even angrier.

After all, Qi Heng was born in a duke's family, and his mother was a princess. He grew up in the palace, and he had been in and out of the palace with his mother many times. Naturally, he had an extraordinary vision. He recognized at a glance that this was obviously not something Minglan often used, and it was not something that Old Lady Sheng could own. But if it was given by someone else, then... For some reason, Qi Heng thought of Bai Ziyang first.