With Su Hua's agreement, Gu Qingfeng shrugged his shoulders, glanced at Huode, and said with a laugh, "See that? I'm not deliberately making things difficult for her; she's the one making things difficult for me."
Huode rolled his eyes, stood up, and grinned, "Immortal Su Hua! The Gu kid was just joking with you. You mustn't take it seriously."
Before Su Hua could respond, Xu Jintong, Chang Tianrui, and everyone present stepped forward to angrily rebuke Huode.
"Joking? What a joke, hmph! Does he get to decide if it's a joke or not?"
"Disrespecting the Immortal, defiling her honor—how can that be dismissed with just a 'joke'?"
"Isn't he very arrogant? Isn't he very insolent? Didn't he say Immortal's Little Blue Flower Language is riddled with flaws? Let him point them out. The Immortal has made it very clear: if he can't point them out today, she will definitely not forgive him. He must kneel and apologize!"
"Kneeling and apologizing is enough? He dared to defile the Immortal; he must atone with his death!"
"Right! He must atone with his death!"
Huode looked at these people, feeling utterly speechless inside. Atoning with his death? Kneeling and apologizing? What a joke. Forget atoning with death or kneeling to apologize—he knew better than anyone that in Gu Qingfeng's life dictionary, the word 'apology' simply didn't exist. This kid had lived this long and had never apologized to anyone, not even once. Forget apologizing; when Gu Qingfeng did something, he wouldn't even bother explaining it to you.
Watching these people clamoring that if Gu Qingfeng couldn't point out the shortcomings of Little Blue Flower Language, he must atone with his death today, Huode couldn't help but shout, "Do you really think you're helping the Immortal? You're harming her!"
After saying that, he turned to Su Hua again, "Immortal, don't stoop to his level."
"True Person Huode, what did you mean by what you just said?" Su Hua didn't understand.
"I meant don't stoop to the Gu kid's level."
"No! You said they're harming me. What did you mean?"
Su Hua truly didn't understand. She had initially thought Huode stepped forward to plead for Gu Qingfeng, but his words sounded more and more off to her. What did he mean by harming her? It was as if he knew that in the end, she would be the one to suffer. What did he mean? Could it be that arrogant fellow really could point out the shortcomings of Little Blue Flower Language?
"This..." Huode scratched his head, his expression somewhat awkward. "Immortal, to be honest with you, the Gu kid has quite a talent in Musical Arts, and his attainments are frighteningly high. If he says your Little Blue Flower Language has problems... ahem... then it definitely has problems... I just can't bear to see you become the Gu kid's maiden attendant, so let's just forget it..."
"What! This..." Su Hua was stunned, and everyone else was stunned too.
Like Su Hua, when Huode stepped forward, they all thought he was pleading for Gu Qingfeng, making them even more certain that Gu Qingfeng was deliberately toying with the Immortal. But they never expected Huode to say such things.
"Quite a talent? Frighteningly high attainments in Musical Arts? If he says Little Blue Flower Language has problems, then it definitely has problems?" Ouyang Ye nearby sneered disdainfully, "Who does he think he is? Does he really think he's the peerless Monarch Chixiao in Musical Arts? What a joke!"
"Monarch Chixiao?" Gu Qingfeng laughed heartily, "Sister Ouyang, to tell you the truth, I'm much more impressive than Monarch Chixiao."
"You arrogant fellow, can't you stop bragging!" Ouyang Ye glared fiercely at Gu Qingfeng, then looked at Huode and complained, "Grandpa Huode, Gu Qingfeng is shameless. How can you play this double act with him to toy with Sister Su Hua?"
"Little girl, watch your words! When have I ever played a double act with the Gu kid to toy with Immortal Su Hua!"
"You're clearly playing a double-act trick—one bluffing, the other confusing truth and falsehood."
"Little Miss Ouyang, you're overthinking it. I'm not joking." Huode then said very seriously to Immortal Su Hua, "Immortal, I'm not joking with you, nor am I playing any double act with the Gu kid to toy with you."
To be honest, even Su Hua somewhat suspected whether Gu Qingfeng and Huode were playing a double act to mess with her. Others didn't believe Gu Qingfeng's claim that Little Blue Flower Language had a bunch of minor flaws, and she herself believed it even less.
Su Hua looked at Huode. She could tell he was speaking sincerely, not deceiving her.
This couldn't help but puzzle Su Hua. Could it really be as Huode said—that Gu Qingfeng's talent and attainments in Musical Arts were very high? That her Little Blue Flower Language was truly riddled with flaws? Was it possible? No! Absolutely impossible!
Su Hua thought it over and eventually decided to trust herself. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and said, "True Person Huode, thank you for the reminder. If Little Blue Flower Language truly is riddled with flaws as Young Lord Chiyan says, what harm is there in me serving as his maiden attendant for a few days?"
After saying that, Su Hua walked up to Gu Qingfeng, her expression impassive, and said, "Young Lord Chiyan, please enlighten me."
"Huode, you see? This isn't my fault..." At this moment, Gu Qingfeng was reclining in his chair, legs crossed, eyes narrowed as if about to fall asleep, his tone lazy.
Huode opened his mouth, intending to continue persuading her, but seeing Su Hua's resolute expression, he thought it over carefully and decided to let it be. Shaking his head, he sighed, squatted on the ground, and silently puffed on his large tobacco pipe again.
Gu Qingfeng didn't even look at Su Hua, still reclining in his chair, not even opening his eyes, as if tired. He yawned again and asked, "Sister Su, have you thought it through?"
"Believe me, I have completely thought it through." Su Hua looked at this fellow who kept yawning and didn't even glance at her, feeling as furious as could be. She couldn't wait to teach this arrogant and conceited fellow a lesson, saying sternly, "Moreover, I'll say it again: if you deliberately toy with me, I will definitely not forgive your disrespect toward me!"
"Do you know what maiden attendants are supposed to do?"
Su Hua suppressed the anger constantly rising in her heart, her voice filled with rage as she said, "If you can truly point out the shortcomings of Little Blue Flower Language, I will serve you according to the standards of a maiden attendant in the Immortal Dynasty's court. How about that?"
"A maiden attendant from the Immortal Dynasty's court? Good, not bad... I like that." Gu Qingfeng yawned again. "Alright, then come on. First, give me a shoulder rub. Let me see your technique."
What? Su Hua wondered if she had misheard. Her expression froze momentarily, and the anger she had suppressed for so long finally erupted. She shouted furiously, "You haven't pointed out the shortcomings of Little Blue Flower Language yet! Why should I serve as your maiden attendant first!"
After shouting, Su Hua realized she had lost her composure, but she didn't care about that anymore. All she wanted was to teach this arrogant fellow a lesson.
"Why shout so loudly." Gu Qingfeng still didn't open his eyes. Instead, he pointed lazily at the score of Little Blue Flower Language on the nearby table and said, "I've already revised the score. Pick it up and take a look yourself."