Chapter 166: Shu Yunfang
Upon hearing this, Yiyi couldn’t help but say, "In a couple of days, we’ll be heading back."
Hearing this, Gu Tingyu said, "In that case, how about I take you and Aunt Ding around Shangjing tomorrow? But time is a bit tight, so we can only visit nearby places."
Ding Yuejun quickly waved her hand, saying, "I won’t go with you two. You and Yiyi should go together. You young people should walk around more, while I’ll just stay at home."
"Mom, you also haven’t had a good look around Shangjing, so let’s all go together tomorrow."
Ding Yuejun quickly shook her head and said, "I won’t go with you two young people. You can go on your own."
Jiang Yizi quickly interjected, "Yes, Yiyi, you and Mr. Gu should go on your own. Your mom has us. If she likes staying at home, we’ll keep her company at home. If she wants to go out, we peers can accompany her."
Ding Yuejun agreed with this idea.
"Yes, Yiyi. I have your two aunts with me. We’re about the same age and can chat together, so I won’t interfere with you young folks."
Seeing her mother say this, Yiyi didn’t insist further.
The next day, Yiyi went out with Gu Tingyu.
"Yiyi, let’s go to the Forbidden City first."
"Sure."
Yiyi smiled and nodded. In truth, wherever they went didn’t matter as long as she was with Gu Tingyu. She would be leaving with her mother the day after tomorrow, so it was best if she could spend more time with Gu Tingyu in these two days. She could feel that Gu Tingyu’s attitude towards her had changed a bit, which couldn’t be a bad thing. They seemed to be making some progress.
Seeing the bright smile on the young girl’s face, Gu Tingyu’s face was also full of smiles, and he was in an exceptionally good mood. "Then let’s head over now. I made a simple plan. In the morning, we’ll visit the Forbidden City, and at noon, I’ll take you to an old restaurant for lunch. In the afternoon, we’ll check out Houhai."
"Okay."
Seeing that Gu Tingyu had made all the arrangements, Yiyi was even more pleased to take it easy. When traveling, she loved it when others planned everything, and she could just relax and follow along. Gu Tingyu had made the perfect choice for her.
Upon arriving at the Forbidden City, Gu Tingyu took Yiyi on a leisurely tour, explaining as they walked.
"Gu Tingyu, you sure know a lot."
For Yiyi’s compliment, Gu Tingyu replied with a smile, "I was born and raised in Shangjing, so it’s only natural to know these things."
"That’s not necessarily true; most Shangjing people probably don’t know this stuff." Yiyi still thought Gu Tingyu was impressive.
Hearing this from Yiyi, Gu Tingyu smiled, clearly flattered by the young girl’s praise, with smiles reaching the corners of his eyes.
The two continued to stroll around, and after visiting most of the place, it was almost lunchtime.
"Alright, let’s go have lunch."
Upon hearing this, Yiyi naturally nodded and said, "Okay."
Familiar with Shangjing, Gu Tingyu led Yiyi with many twists and turns to a nondescript little eatery.
"Xiao Gu, you brought a friend for a meal?"
The shop owner was an elderly couple. At that moment, the lady saw Gu Tingyu and greeted him with a smile, glanced at Yiyi, then at Gu Tingyu, and couldn’t help but ask quietly, "Xiao Gu, is the girl next to you your girlfriend? She’s really pretty."
"Boss lady, she..."
But Gu Tingyu hadn’t finished when the owner shouted from the other side, "Old lady, hurry over and serve the dishes."
Hearing this, the boss lady quickly pointed out a direction to Gu Tingyu and Yiyi, saying, "Your seats are over there; I’ll go serve the dishes now." Without waiting for Gu Tingyu to speak, she ran off to serve the dishes.
Gu Tingyu was left hanging midway through his explanation when the boss lady left, feeling a bit awkward.
Yiyi had actually heard what the boss lady said earlier. Seeing Gu Tingyu’s expression, she couldn’t help but giggle, "Alright, Gu Tingyu, let’s go over quickly."
Seeing the young girl snicker, Gu Tingyu also couldn’t help but smile.
After they sat down, the boss lady, having finished her tasks, came over and asked, "Xiao Gu, what would you and your girlfriend like to eat? We have some fresh game today; I’d recommend trying some."
Upon hearing this, Yiyi quickly said, "Sure, thank you."
"No trouble, no trouble. Oh, you’re so pretty, a perfect match with Xiao Gu." After saying this, the boss lady turned to Gu Tingyu and said, "In that case, I’ll serve two of today’s fresh game dishes. As for vegetables, I’ll bring them per your usual preference, and to round it off, a dish of sour soup fish for you two."
"Okay, thank you, boss lady."
Yiyi replied with a smile.
After the boss lady left, Gu Tingyu hadn’t found an opportunity to speak, "You probably should have said something to the boss lady earlier to prevent any misunderstandings."
"The more you explain such things, the less people believe it, so it’s better not to say anything."
Hearing this from Yiyi, Gu Tingyu was momentarily taken aback, but then he agreed with the logic and said no more.
Though the little shop was run by just the couple, the owner was quick, and soon two dishes were served: shredded pork in Beijing sauce and braised rabbit meat.
"Yiyi, try this. The Beijing-style shredded pork here is very authentic, and the taste is great."
Upon hearing this, Yiyi quickly tasted it, then another bite of rabbit meat. First, the rich sauce flavor, then the fresh game taste; she thought the dishes from this small shop were really good, making her want to eat more.
Seeing Yiyi eating happily, Gu Tingyu couldn’t help but smile and said, "Take your time; there are still a few more dishes."
With her mouth full, Yiyi could only nod to indicate she understood.
The third dish that arrived was stir-fried seasonal vegetables. Seeing the fresh greenery, Yiyi was sure it would taste good.
But before she could reach for her plate, an excited voice sounded from nearby.
"Brother Tingyu, how come you are here?"
Jogging over with the voice was a gracefully beautiful woman, full of a classical vibe.
Yiyi glanced at the woman, not missing the surprise and admiration in her eyes toward Gu Tingyu.
Seeing this, she furrowed her brow slightly. This woman probably liked Gu Tingyu; otherwise, she wouldn’t look so happy and excited.
And next to the woman was another person Yiyi recognized, Song Weili, who she had met previously at the Song Family’s place.
Seeing the two in front of him, Gu Tingyu was slightly surprised, then said, "Yunfang, are you here for a meal too?"
"Yes, Brother Tingyu, I didn’t expect to run into you. Since we did, let’s sit together," Shu Yunfang said, smiling brightly.