Gu Chuan raised his hand, "Please sit."

Yingzi hesitated, casting a glance at Nanxing.

Gu Chuan waved his hand, and Nanxing left the room, closing the door behind him.

Gu Chuan pointed to a chair nearby, "Let’s talk while sitting if there’s something up. No need to be so reserved."

Yingzi slowly sat down, building up the courage within herself for a long time, then took out the pouch from her sleeve pocket and quietly said, "Brother Xiao Chuan, thank you for the gift you brought me. I made this myself as a return gift."

Gu Chuan saw Yingzi holding a dark green pouch tightly and quickly waved his hand, "No need, those were just small trinkets, worthless really, meant for you and Ah Shong to play with. No need for a return gift."

Yingzi persisted, extending her hand.

Gu Chuan smiled helplessly, "Yingzi, you’re young and may not know, but a pouch made by a girl is not something you randomly give away."

"It’s only for a brother, or for someone you love."

"It’s not appropriate for me to accept your pouch."

He didn’t know this before. During his travels, he once stayed at a household where the daughter gave him a pouch.

He thought the pouch was quite nice, and his own was getting old, so he happily accepted it and wore it, planning to add some Silver to the room fee when he left.

Unexpectedly, when he was about to leave, the girl tearfully asked him to take her with him, and the men of the family almost beat him up.

Gu Chuan was startled, repeatedly explaining he had no such intentions towards the girl, and only later realized that accepting the pouch had led to her misunderstanding.

Since then, he never dared accept anything from a girl’s family.

Yingzi’s face turned red upon hearing this, yet her extended hand remained unmoved. She lowered her head, speaking quietly, "This pouch, I...I just want to give to Brother Xiao Chuan."

Gu Chuan quickly stood up, moved to the door, opened it, and waved vigorously to Yingzi, "Sister, we grew up together, and I truly see you as my sister, without any inappropriate thoughts."

"If I did anything to cause a misunderstanding, I apologize to you."

Yingzi’s hand was almost stiff, she bit her lip and turned to look at Gu Chuan, "Brother Xiao Chuan, even if you used to see me as a sister."

"We’re grown up now."

"After New Year, I’ll be seventeen. I—"

Gu Chuan quickly interrupted her, bowing deeply, "Sister, please don’t say anymore."

"You’ll have your own destined love, sister, please return."

Yingzi slowly withdrew her stiff hand, her eyes reddened, "Brother Xiao Chuan, do you...do you look down on my mother for being just a cook, and my stepfather a laborer? Do you think my family is too poor to match yours?"

Gu Chuan stood by the door, the cold wind seeped through the curtain’s gaps, making him even more clear-headed. He shook his head, "That’s not it."

"If she were truly my beloved, no matter her status, rich or poor, I would marry her."

"But, I really have no intentions towards you, and ask for your forgiveness." He said, bowing deeply again.

Being repeatedly rejected by him, Yingzi’s face couldn’t hide her shame anymore. She tightly gripped the pouch and dashed towards the door, Gu Chuan quickly stepped aside.

Yingzi covered her face and ran upstairs, back to her room, slamming the door shut.

She sat on the edge of the bed, tightly gripping the pouch, her eyes flaming red, yet without shedding a single tear. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Unconsciously, she bit so deeply into her lip that it left a row of blood marks.