Mistakenly recognized as a cousin, thousands of pampered

Tao Jiuxi subconsciously turned his head slightly to avoid Ji Qingyi's hand, and a trace of discomfort flashed across his face.

Ji Qingyi's intimate behavior made her feel very uncomfortable, and there was a hint of resistance in her eyes.

Ji Qingyi's hand froze in mid-air, and a trace of loss flashed in his eyes. He watched Tao Jiuxi's evasive movements become more and more obvious, and a complex emotion surged in his heart.

He gently withdrew his hand, still with a gentle smile on his face, trying to hide the turmoil in his heart.

"Xier, I'm sorry for being rude." Ji Qingyi said softly, with a barely perceptible bitterness in his voice.

He tried to lighten the mood, "I just thought you were cute, that's all."

Tao Jiuxi bit her lip and whispered, "I'm sorry, I actually... I actually already..."

"It's okay, Xier, let's take it slow." Seeing Tao Jiuxi hesitating, Ji Qingyi sighed slightly, with a hint of helplessness in his eyes.

"Brother Yi, I'm sorry, I have..."

Tao Jiuxi mustered up the courage and spoke again. She didn't dare look Ji Qingyi in the eye. It was impossible for her to say that she had no guilt in her heart. Ji Qingyi had waited for "her" for so many years, but this was the result. It would be hard for anyone to accept.

"Xi'er, stop talking."

But this time, before Tao Jiuxi could finish her words, Ji Qingyi decisively interrupted her, as if he had seen through Tao Jiuxi's thoughts with his attitude.

As a result, the words that Tao Jiuxi originally wanted to say could only turn into an almost inaudible sigh.

She didn't know how to face Ji Qingyi, nor how to deal with this embarrassing situation. She lowered her head silently, praying in her heart that Shen Zhiyi would come back soon.

After returning to the mansion, Tao Hongyuan had already carefully prepared a place for Ji Qingyi to live. The courtyard happened to be next to Tao Jiuxi. This arrangement obviously showed that he did not treat Ji Qingyi as an outsider.

Tao Jiuxi was no longer in the mood to say anything more to Tao Hongyuan. He bowed and left, saying that he was going to look for Tao Qingwan.

After Tao Jiuxi gave the pastries bought by Ji Qingyi to Tao Qingwan, he planned to go to rest.

Tao Qingwan looked at her sister sighing and asked worriedly, "What's wrong? Have you found out anything?"

Tao Jiuxi said helplessly: "Brother Yi is very good to me. I want to talk about that thing, but I don't know how to start. Sister, is it because of me that everything has become so bad?"

"Silly girl, how can I blame you for this? If it weren't for you, our family might not be here. I've been through so much in the past, but I've never been this depressed. Why am I like this today?"

"I just feel like I've caused trouble for everyone, and I feel a little guilty about it," Tao Jiuxi said.

"Don't be sad. Don't you always say that a day of happiness is a day of sadness?"

Tao Jiuxi shrugged and said, "Then I'll just be sad for the rest of the day."

The next morning.

Tao Jiuxi was woken up by the maid and dressed up. Not long after, Tao Qingwan also came to Tao Jiuxi's room.

Seeing the haggard Tao Jiuxi, Tao Qingwan sat beside her and asked, "Did you not sleep all night?"

"more or less."

After returning to her room yesterday, Tao Jiuxi tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep. Although she knew that Shen Zhiyi might have left the capital, she still had fantasies and hoped that he would show up. As a result, she waited for most of the night, but Shen Zhiyi did not come. She slowly fell asleep when it was dawn.

"Since you are so sleepy, you can sleep a little longer."

"No, I have to go out today. I want to send the children I met yesterday to the orphanage in Beijing."

"Does it have to be today? You look so tired."

"Not really, I just have to tell the children." Tao Jiuxi said, closed her eyes, and let the maid comb her hair.

Tao Qingwan waved to the maid, indicating her to go down, so she took the comb from the maid and began to do Tao Jiuxi's makeup.

"Jiuxi... Fang Mingxiu came here yesterday."

"What? What are you here for?" Tao Jiuxi was no longer sleepy at once and immediately opened her tired eyes. She saw that it was Tao Qingwan who was combing her hair, and a smile appeared on her haggard face.

"He came with gifts, saying he admired my father, and followed my father to the study."

"This kid is quite good at being roundabout. If Shen Zhiyi had been smarter at the beginning, he wouldn't have ended up in this situation today. Alas!" Tao Jiuxi said, and couldn't help but think of Shen Zhiyi, and felt annoyed again.

Then Tao Jiuxi asked curiously: "Sister, if that third place winner is interested, what about you?"

"I have never thought about it before, but if he is a noble person and my father has no objection, I am willing to do it."

Tao Jiuxi was a little surprised. He looked at Tao Qingwan standing behind him through the bronze mirror. Tao Qingwan looked a little shy at this time. What surprised Tao Jiuxi was that this was the first time that Tao Qingwan clearly expressed her opinion on this matter.

"Sister, you weren't like this before, huh?"

"When you left the capital, I once went to Xianpinzhai and saw him."

"Sister, sit down and talk. You can do your hair later." Tao Jiuxi pulled Tao Qingwan to sit down. When listening to gossip, you can't let other things affect your interest.

Tao Qingwan slowly sat down, a hint of shyness on her face, and continued, "I heard his grandfather chatting with others, saying that he couldn't stay idle at home, so he set up a stall there. After Fang Mingxiu left the court, he hurried out from home. He didn't stop his grandfather's behavior just because he was a high school graduate. Instead, he quietly accompanied him. Later, when there was a crying child on the street, he took a wooden sculpture from the stall to comfort him. At that time, I felt that he was a little different."

"And then?"

To be a good listener, the emotional value must be given in place. Tao Jiuxi immediately urged Tao Qingwan to continue speaking impatiently, and his anxious look was simply amazing.

But then again, every time she heard gossip, she was always anxious.

"I was in the private room on the second floor of Xianpinzhai at that time. Later, Fang Mingxiu also saw me. He took another wooden sculpture from his grandfather's stall and asked the waiter of Xianpinzhai to bring it up." Tao Qingwan's cheeks flushed slightly as she recalled the scene at that time.

"Didn't he give it to him himself?" Tao Jiuxi widened his eyes and asked curiously.

"No." Tao Qingwan shook her head slightly.

"Just a wooden sculpture as a gift, without any message or anything?" Tao Jiuxi continued to inquire curiously.

"No message."

"Then, then, then... then what?"

"Then we met in the Imperial Garden that day." Tao Qingwan lowered her head slightly, and her voice became softer.

"Gone?" Tao Jiuxi looked incredulous, his eyes widening.

"Yes." Tao Qingwan bit her lip lightly, as if hesitating whether to continue.

"Sister, you're making me anxious to death by talking like that. Please continue talking." Tao Jiuxi was so anxious that she pulled Tao Qingwan's arm and acted coquettishly.

"Yesterday, after he came out of his father's study, he asked me if I could help him." Tao Qingwan finally spoke again, her voice getting smaller and smaller, and the blush on her face became more obvious.

"What help?"

"He said that since he was selected as the third place winner in the imperial examination, many noble ladies have come to visit him. He asked me if I could help him solve his worries..." After Tao Qingwan finished speaking, she unconsciously covered her face with her hands and felt even more embarrassed.

The third place winner's literary talent was naturally undeniable, and his appearance was undoubtedly top-notch. Fang Mingxiu's being designated as the third place winner was a testament to his exceptional appearance. Compared to those who chose a husband from the list, the daughters of wealthy families naturally preferred a man of both talent and beauty. Therefore, it was quite normal for a woman to come to him.

After listening to the two people's extremely subtle process, Tao Jiuxi couldn't help but give a thumbs up: "Wow, brother-in-law is really good."

Sure enough, it’s more interesting to watch others fall in love.