Yang Ruxin also realized that she had spoken too hastily, but with her thick skin, she didn’t feel embarrassed. Instead, she defended herself quite confidently, "I was just making a comparison. There’s no need for you to get so worked up about it..." As she spoke, she kindly got up and patted Gu Qingheng on the back.
"Am I that old? I’m only four years older than you," Gu Qingheng actually felt a bit deflated. It seemed he really needed to recover soon; otherwise... Some kid had actually moved into her home, and he inexplicably felt a sense of crisis.
If Yang Ruxin knew what was going on in his mind, she would probably die laughing. Zhou Xiao was a seventeen-year-old kid; he had nothing to do with her, right? She didn’t have any inclination for younger boys...
"Old? You’re not old at all. Whoever dares to call you old, I’ll have a bone to pick with them..." Yang Ruxin hastily waved her hands, then flashed an ingratiating smile, "Actually, my point was to express respect, it has nothing to do with age. Besides, being a teacher doesn’t necessarily mean one is old. Didn’t Confucius say it? ’When three people walk with me, my teacher is among them’..."
"You even know about Saints," Gu Qingheng smiled, "Did Guan Qingshu teach you that?" Unbeknownst to him, his tone was slightly sour.
"How could he be the one to teach me? I heard my Yang Rusong mention it..." Although Yang Ruxin didn’t pick up on the hint of jealousy, she didn’t want to tie herself to Guan Qingshu, especially with a scholar already in her family, that seemed enough to gloss things over.
Sure enough, Gu Qingheng said no more and his mood inexplicably brightened.
"And hey, Gu Qingheng, even though I used to...uh, have a thing for Guan Qingshu, now I have absolutely nothing to do with him. Can you please not bring him up in front of me again?" Yang Ruxin rolled her eyes in frustration.
Gu Qingheng frowned slightly, "Could it be that you still...think about him?"
"The mere mention of him makes me feel sick, it ruins my mood," Yang Ruxin blew her bangs off her forehead, "Who hasn’t been young and foolish? I’ve changed and I’m still a good...girl..." She almost let slip the word ’comrade’. In this era, that term doesn’t exist, and would certainly raise suspicions.
The corners of Gu Qingheng’s mouth curled up.
"Back then, it was just because I thought he was good-looking and well-read, a blind admiration, nothing more. But now I’ve realized he isn’t as handsome as you and his scholarship doesn’t hold a candle to yours, Heihei..." Yang Ruxin said, gazing at Gu Qingheng with starry eyes, "Can I start admiring you now instead?"
Gu Qingheng’s handsome face turned red in an instant. Why was this girl so close to him? He could even smell the fragrance of her breath, which made his heart feel like... like it had been brushed by a feather...
Gu Yao covered his face; this Yang Ruxin, flirting with his elder brother right in front of him! Should he intervene? Should he...
"Gu Qingheng, you’re actually blushing," Yang Ruxin suddenly burst into joyful laughter, "But you look even prettier like this..."
"You..." Gu Qingheng raised his hand to touch his face somewhat helplessly, feeling that it was indeed quite hot.
"You know what? The way you look makes people really want to bully you," Yang Ruxin rubbed her hands together, looking like a mischievous auntie.
"Cough, cough..." Gu Yao couldn’t stand it, he coughed twice, "Big brother’s leg is injured, you’d better be careful." Then he turned and walked away, feeling that if he stayed any longer, he would die of embarrassment. Moreover, seeing the way this woman was behaving, it seemed she was about to pounce on his brother any moment, and he truly didn’t know whether he should stop her. So, it was better out of sight, out of mind.