CHAPTER 67: CHAPTER 19: HEARTFLUTTER

After leaving Liuyue City, if you continue heading south for a hundred miles, you’ll reach the Senluo River, which is the border between the Great Zhou Dynasty and the Great Tang Dynasty. This side of the river is the Great Zhou Dynasty, and that side is the Great Tang Dynasty.

During the times of constant warfare between the two sides, both would set up checkpoints along the river to prevent enemies from sneaking across. Although the vigilance isn’t as strict as before, there are still checkpoints now, but with trade routes open between the two countries, the checkpoints are still very busy.

After verifying their clearance documents, the group proceeded to the riverbank, preparing to cross the river.

The Senluo River is nearly a hundred meters wide; with the Heavenly Qilin Horse’s ability, it could easily fly across, but Gu Qingqing had never been on a boat before. To let Gu Qingqing experience the feeling of being on a boat, they decided to take a boat across the river.

Many boats were docked by the riverbank, some big, some small, some looking quite simple, others appearing very beautiful. The dock was bustling.

When they learned that the group wanted to take a boat, Hua Shiyu was about to let his attendant inquire about the situation, but he was stopped by Nan Hua.

Si Lin unexpectedly held a small, delicate-looking ship in his hand. Under Hua Shiyu and Yun Ran’s curious gaze, Si Lin tossed the ship onto the water, and as it caught the wind, it rapidly grew into a medium-sized passenger ship as tall as a two-story building.

The vessel was adorned with carved beams and painted rafters, looking extremely beautiful.

"I crafted this before leaving. Do you like it, Geng Geng?" When facing Gu Qingqing, Si Lin’s expression always softened, and seeing her puzzled look, he immediately explained to her.

Gu Qingqing looked at the ship on the river, then at Si Lin, and nodded.

"I’ll gift it to you then," Si Lin said, amused by Gu Qingqing’s stunned expression. "What’s the matter? The material used for this ship isn’t particularly precious, and it was meant for you. Just accept it."

Since Si Lin put it that way, and thinking of all the gifts she received from Si Lin over the years, Gu Qingqing didn’t decline further and nodded to accept it outright.

"Come, let me show you inside. If there’s anything you don’t like, tell me, and I’ll help adjust it." Si Lin patted Gu Qingqing’s head fondly.

Gu Qingqing followed Si Lin aboard the ship first, with Yue Zhao and the others following closely behind, while Hua Shiyu and the rest were still frozen in place.

Yun Ran and Zhuo Tingqiu were faring a bit better, knowing more or less the identities of Si Lin and his group, and being accustomed to their lavish indulgence towards Gu Qingqing, they recovered quickly and got on the ship. Hua Shiyu was different.

As a favored prince of the Great Zhou Dynasty, Hua Shiyu had many resources tilted towards him within the Imperial Family, using items second only to the Emperor himself. However, he didn’t possess a Heavenly Qilin Horse as a mount, nor did he have such a refined ship. Despite Si Lin’s casual demeanor, Hua Shiyu could still discern that the ship was clearly a magic artifact, and not of low grade!

And yet, such an item was casually gifted by Si Lin to Gu Qingqing, and she accepted it just as casually, as if it was no big deal to them!

This once again refreshed his understanding of Gu Qingqing and the others, elevating his estimation of them!

Deep in thought, his expression remained unchanged, and after instructing his followers to find a boat across the river, he also boarded the ship crafted by Si Lin.

Within the ship’s cabin, Si Lin had already shown Gu Qingqing around, and Gu Qingqing was very satisfied with the interior decor, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Si Lin, making Yue Zhao and the others envious.

Once the ship set off, one could hardly feel any wind or waves—it was very stable and stood out among the multitude of vessels.

Qiu Yuyan and Qiu Yu Fei were sitting on another medium-sized passenger ship at the moment. Since they had many people, they directly chartered the vessel, but it couldn’t compare to Gu Qingqing’s ship in beauty. After boarding, Qiu Yu Fei wore a displeased expression, casting disdainful glances at the ship she was on, clearly dissatisfied with it.

By contrast, Qiu Yuyan seemed better.

Currently, Qiu Yuyan was reading in the cabin, while Qiu Yu Fei sat at the ship’s edge, gazing outside. When she saw Gu Qingqing and her group’s ship, she was quite surprised, since she hadn’t seen that ship when they rented theirs; otherwise, she would never have boarded the current one.

"Miss, that ship is so beautiful," said the maid beside Qiu Yu Fei enviously, pointing at the ship not far away.

Qiu Yu Fei glared at the maid, who immediately realized her mistake and lowered her head.

Attracting Qiu Yuyan’s attention with the maid’s voice, she looked outside and caught sight of Zhuo Tingqiu standing at the ship’s prow, raising her delicate eyebrows.

"Yu Fei, take a look, is that the Young Master of the Zhuo Family, Zhuo Tingqiu, at the prow?" she asked softly as she moved to stand beside Qiu Yu Fei.

Qiu Yu Fei, hearing this, focused her gaze on the ship not far away, when Yun Ran emerged from the cabin and stood beside Zhuo Tingqiu; Qiu Yu Fei’s eyes immediately locked onto Yun Ran.

"Indeed, besides Zhuo Tingqiu, Yun Ran is there too!" She almost ground her teeth when mentioning Yun Ran, showing her displeasure.

"I haven’t heard of any recent collaborations between the Yun and Zhuo Families; how are those two together? Was Zhuo Tingqiu with Yun Ran last time you met her in Chasing Cloud City?" Qiu Yuyan paid no mind to Qiu Yu Fei’s grim face; she was more concerned about why Yun Ran was with Zhuo Tingqiu.

Though the Qiu, Zhuo, Yun, Lan, and Nalan Families are collectively called the Five Great Families and always discuss major decisions together, each holds closer ties with different families. The Qiu Family has good relations with the Lan Family, while the Yun and Zhuo Families have been only fair between themselves these years. Thus, seeing Zhuo Tingqiu and Yun Ran together caught her attention.

"Zhuo Tingqiu was indeed there, along with some unfamiliar people, and Yun Ran and Zhuo Tingqiu seemed to regard them highly." Despite her dislike for Yun Ran, fearing Qiu Yuyan, Qiu Yu Fei recalled the scene and relayed it.

"Could those few people with them be the key?" speculated Qiu Yuyan, glancing towards Yun Ran and Zhuo Tingqiu.

Amid Qiu Yuyan’s uncertainty, Gu Qingqing and Si Lin emerged from the cabin, with Si Lin turning his face towards Qiu Yuyan while talking to Gu Qingqing.

As the distance between the two ships wasn’t far, though Qiu Yuyan couldn’t see Si Lin’s face clearly, she could make out roughly. Suddenly it was as if an arrow struck her heart, making her feel as though her heart stopped beating. Everything around her seemed to vanish, leaving only Si Lin’s face in her view!

It was the first time Qiu Yuyan felt her heart flutter!