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Chapter 715 Two men, one gentle and refined, the other attentively caring...

The long whip pierced the air with a crisp "snap," swirling up several withered yellow leaves.

Gu Qingchen stood in the courtyard, repeatedly waving the soft whip in his hand.

Since being confined to her home by her mother's orders, this small courtyard has become her only world. In the past, if she had any worries, she would go to the horse farm for a few laps, and in the speed of the horse, even the most troubled feelings would disappear.

But now, she can only vent her nameless anger in the air, over and over again.

Gu Lu's words, Lan Xin's purse, and Lin Jiayou's gentle and harmless face flashed alternately in her mind.

What bothered her wasn't the house arrest, but the feeling of being kept in the dark and treated like an immature child.

"Snap!" Another whip cracked, the force of which was so great that it sparked a tiny spark on the bluestone slab.

Just as she was feeling troubled, a maid's voice came from outside the courtyard.

"Miss, Young Master Lin has come to visit."

Gu Qingchen paused, slowly put away the whip, and frowned deeply.

Why would he come? Didn't he move out a long time ago?

Before she could ask a question, Lin Jiayou had already bypassed the screen wall and appeared in front of her.

Today he was wearing a moon-white long robe, which made his handsome face and elegant demeanor even more striking.

"Hearing that you were under house arrest, I was worried and came to visit you to see if you were alright." His voice was filled with just the right amount of concern, and his eyes were so gentle they seemed to melt.

Gu Qingchen's heart, however, was as cold and hard as iron.

She hung the long whip on the weapon rack beside her and said in a distant tone, "I'm fine, you don't need to worry about me."

Lin Jiayou seemed oblivious to the coldness in her words, and took a few steps forward on his own, taking something out of his sleeve.

"I know you're feeling down, so I specially found a little gadget to cheer you up."

He opened his palm, and a rattle drum lay quietly in his hand.

The drumhead was slightly yellowed and painted with a small tiger outlined in vermilion. With a slight flick of his wrist, it made a soft "thump-thump" sound.

"Do you remember?" Lin Jiayou's voice was lower, husky with a hint of nostalgia. "When you were little, this was your favorite toy."

“You always said that this little tiger was just as majestic as you. But when you lost it, you cried.”

He raised his eyes and said, “I searched many places and asked many master craftsmen based on my memory. It took me ten years to finally find one that was exactly the same.”

"Who's crying? I just got sand in my eye. It's just a rattle drum, isn't it? The Duke of Zhenguo's mansion has plenty of those."

Gu Qingchen was stubborn, but his eyes were fixed on the rattle drum.

As Lin Jiayou recounted his story, some blurry, fragmented childhood images flashed through her mind. It seemed as if she really did have such a toy.

The phrase "searched for ten whole years" was like a precise key, prying open the softest corner of her heart.

Her hand unconsciously reached out and took the rattle drum. The smooth wooden handle felt cool to the touch, yet also carried an indescribable warmth.

"Thank you for your thoughtfulness." She finally uttered those two words, looking at him with a complicated expression.

Seeing this, Lin Jiayou's eyes flashed with a hint of smugness, but the smile on his lips grew even gentler.

"I'll do anything for you as long as you're happy."

The atmosphere inside the courtyard suddenly became subtle.

Just then, a familiar voice came from afar.

"So it's Young Master Lin here too!"

Before he finished speaking, Qian Zhenyun appeared at the courtyard gate. Gu Lu was following behind him, clearly indicating that the two were returning to the mansion together.

Qian Zhenyun was carrying a net bag filled with several colorful shuttlecocks and a few clay figurines, looking like he had just returned from the market.

He strode in, grinning as he handed the net to Gu Qingchen.

"By order of His Highness the Crown Prince, I have come to visit our 'Number One Fierce Woman in the Capital'!"

He deliberately pronounced the title loudly and clearly, his face full of a mischievous smile.

"His Highness said he knows he was wrong. He was wrong that day and shouldn't have acted without distinguishing right from wrong. He's a grown man, tough and thick-skinned. Falling into the pool to cool off is nothing to him. He was just worried about upsetting you, Miss Gu."

"That's why they specially ordered me to bring some novelties from the streets to cheer up our little devil and apologize!"

Looking at his appearance and the worthless trinkets in his hands, Gu Qingchen felt her annoyance lessen somewhat.

She couldn't help but roll her eyes and scolded, "Why doesn't he come himself? What's the point of making you come? Go away, why are you so obedient and let him boss you around?"

Upon hearing this, Qian Zhenyun wore a worried expression and sighed dramatically, "There's nothing I can do! His Highness is the Crown Prince, after all. Besides, if I hadn't come, how could I have witnessed this touching scene of heroes appreciating each other?"

His gaze swept over the rattle drum in Gu Qingchen's hand, and then he gave a meaningful look to Lin Jiayou, who was maintaining a gentle and refined demeanor beside him.

Lin Jiayou's smile remained unchanged. "Gun Gun, you're joking."

Qian Zhenyun shoved the net bag he was holding into Gu Qingchen's arms: "Don't just take that one. My things may not be worth much, but they're fun!"

"Look at this, cat's cradle! I guarantee you won't be able to stop playing with it!"

Two men, one gentle and refined, the other attentively caring...

One of the gifts was an old keepsake that carried the weight of a "ten-year search," a token of deep affection.

One of the gifts was a "gift of apology" sent by the Crown Prince, delivered in a playful and frivolous manner.

Lin Jiayou's words were like a carefully woven net, proceeding step by step to trap people firmly.

The appearance of Qian Zhenyun was like an unreasonable gust of wind, forcefully scattering the net into pieces.

Distracted by him, Gu Qingchen looked at the rattle drum in his hand again, and the emotion that had just risen had cooled down considerably.

Clutching a bunch of random trinkets, she looked at the two very different men in front of her and was momentarily at a loss for how to react.