The night had grown quite late.
Xiao Ye had gone somewhere and had yet to return.
With the mistress gone and the master not at home, the entire Earl Manor had become somewhat unsettled. Fortunately, there was still an experienced steward like Steward Xu to manage the situation, preventing panic and unease from spreading throughout the household. However, Steward Xu was, after all, getting on in years. In the past, when Lanyin was around, he could assist with ease, but now that all the responsibilities had fallen on his shoulders, he was inevitably feeling overwhelmed.
Especially today, as many people from outside the mansion had come to subtly probe for information.
If the mistress of the household did not return soon, news of her separation from the heir of the household would likely spread throughout the city in no time. By then, it would truly be too late to turn things around!
Just thinking about this—
Steward Xu could only sigh in frustration. The people he had sent to look for the heir had not yet returned. He had considered sending someone to the estate to summon the elderly madam to take charge, but the heir had given strict orders beforehand, and he dared not provoke his displeasure at this critical moment. The nearly fifty-year-old steward anxiously paced around the room. In just two days, several more strands of white hair had appeared on his head, and the wrinkles on his forehead had deepened. However, his usually clever young grandson, Xu Jin, spoke up beside him: “Grandfather, why don’t you send someone to find Auntie? Didn’t she just send some things over the day before yesterday? In the past, it was always the mistress who prepared gifts in return. This time, she left in such a hurry that the gifts haven’t been sent yet. When Auntie receives them, she’s bound to find it strange. Even if the heir finds out, he can’t blame us for it.”
Steward Xu’s eyes lit up at this.
How could he have forgotten about the young lady!
The young lady had always been on good terms with the mistress and was the heir’s own younger sister. With her stepping forward, this matter could surely be resolved! The previously gloomy Steward Xu suddenly relaxed his furrowed brows. He patted his grandson’s head and couldn’t help but praise him: “Jin’er, you’re so clever!”
With that, he called for his son, gave him some instructions, and then sent a clever maid to the Duke of Lu’s residence.
…
When the Xiao family’s messenger arrived, Xiao Siyu and Tu Yici were in their room playing with their newborn son.
The servants were all outside. Xiao Siyu looked at her husband beside her and their son on the bed. The once-proud expression of her youth had softened over time, tempered by the experiences of life.
“I heard that Senior Brother has returned?” she asked Tu Yici.
The senior brother she referred to was Qi Yubai. Back then, both Qi Yubai and Tu Yici had studied at the Imperial Academy and later became the closed-door disciples of the current prime minister. Xiao Siyu’s address of “senior brother” was not out of place.
Tu Yici nodded. He was holding a rattle drum, playing with their son as he spoke to his wife: “He just returned last night. Why?” He glanced up at her. “Do you need something from him?”
“Last time, for Lin’er’s full-month celebration, Senior Brother couldn’t attend but sent a generous gift. I was thinking we should invite him over for a meal.”
Tu Yici knew exactly what she was thinking. His peach-blossom eyes narrowed as he glanced at her. “Having a meal is fine, but don’t go inviting him over to play matchmaker like Mother does.” He then lowered his head and said to their son, “Your mother isn’t that old, yet she’s already learning to play matchmaker.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Siyu slapped his arm. It didn’t hurt, but Tu Yici still let out a soft “ow,” pretending to be in pain. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her unhappy expression and finally stopped shaking the rattle drum. He pulled her into his arms and coaxed her: “This senior brother of mine is very stubborn. If he doesn’t want to do something, no amount of persuasion will work. I’m just worried that your good intentions might backfire. Senior Brother won’t mind, but I’m afraid your friends might end up blaming you.”
Xiao Siyu’s anger subsided after being comforted by him, but she was still puzzled. “But why is Senior Brother so adamant about not getting married? It’s not like he doesn’t like children.”
When Lin’er was first born, Qi Yubai had come to visit. That day, she had seen how much he enjoyed holding the baby, clearly showing no resistance to the idea of marriage.
As for the rumor that he preferred men—
She didn’t believe it.
Her husband had lived and studied with him for three years, and there had been no sign of anything unusual between them. Could it be…
“Could it be that Senior Brother already has someone in his heart?” she suddenly thought of this possibility.
When Tu Yici heard this, his gaze flickered slightly. Fortunately, Xiao Siyu was looking down and didn’t notice, or else she would have pressed him further. “Perhaps…” he replied vaguely.
Xiao Siyu was dissatisfied with this answer and was about to continue questioning him when Cuirong’s voice came from outside: “Madam, someone from the family has come.”
At this hour?
Xiao Siyu sat up straight in Tu Yici’s arms, tidying her clothes as she asked Cuirong, “Did they say what they’re here for?”
Cuirong replied from outside the curtain, “They said they’ve come to return a gift, but the servant looked anxious, as if something was wrong.”
Xiao Siyu frowned. “There must be something wrong. Sister-in-law has always been strict about etiquette. It’s impossible for her to send someone over with gifts at this hour. Have them wait in the outer hall. I’ll change my clothes and be right there.”
After hearing Cuirong’s acknowledgment and departure, Xiao Siyu called for her maid to help her change into more formal attire and then went out.
Tu Yici continued to play with their son. About half an hour later, when the baby had fallen asleep, he was about to call the wet nurse to take him away when he saw his wife return with a dark expression on her face. It was rare to see her like this, so he couldn’t help but ask, “What’s wrong?”
Xiao Siyu was about to speak but stopped when she saw their sleeping son on the bed. She waited for the wet nurse to take him away before telling Tu Yici about what had happened at home over the past two days. As she spoke, her anger grew. “I’ve told my brother time and time again to stop meddling with that woman, but he never listens. Now look what’s happened—Sister-in-law was so upset that she left home.”
She didn’t notice the slight change in Tu Yici’s expression when he heard about the separation, but she continued angrily, “I know Sister-in-law’s temper. If she could endure it, she would never have done something like this. Since she chose to leave, it means she’s made up her mind not to stay with my brother anymore.”
It was precisely because she understood this that Xiao Siyu was so anxious.
“No, I need to go home right now,” she said, her fiery nature taking over. She was about to call for someone to pack her things when Tu Yici stopped her. “If you go back now, people will surely speculate. Wait until tomorrow morning, and I’ll go with you.”
Xiao Siyu knew he was right. Although the news of Sister-in-law leaving hadn’t spread yet, the neighbors must have noticed the commotion. If she went back now, it would only fuel their suspicions.
“Fine,” she sighed. “We’ll have to wait until tomorrow morning.”
The next day, before dawn, the couple, who had barely slept, got up early. Meanwhile, in the Chengbo Mansion, Gu Qing, who had also slept poorly, sat up in bed. She was still dressed in plain clothes, and the lack of sleep had left dark circles under her eyes, making her delicate, palm-sized face appear even more fragile and pitiful.
Hearing the movement, Xueya lifted the curtain and entered. “Mistress, why are you up so early?” She yawned and was about to call for the servants to come and attend to her when she heard Gu Qing ask hoarsely, “Has Ah Ye left?”
Xueya was momentarily stunned. “At this hour, the heir should have just woken up, right?”
Recalling how her mistress had tossed and turned restlessly after Miss Yunfu’s visit last night, a thought crossed her mind, and her drowsiness instantly disappeared. She hurriedly let the curtain fall back down, walked over to Gu Qing, squatted in front of her, and lowered her voice. “Miss, have you made up your mind?”
Gu Qing lowered her head, biting her red lips as her gaze flickered. “But… wouldn’t this be unfair to Elder Sister? She and Ah Ye have been husband and wife for three years. Maybe she’s just waiting for him to lower his head. I shouldn’t have followed Ah Ye back in the first place, and if I interfere at this moment…”
“How can you still be thinking about others at a time like this?” Xueya grew anxious for her. “Are you really going to just stand by and watch Eldest Miss and the heir remain together as a devoted couple? What does that make you? Besides, the person the heir truly cares about is you!”
She had entered the Gu family alongside Gu Qing all those years ago. Although she addressed Gu Lanyin as the Eldest Miss, there was little affection between them.
“Is it really me?”
Hearing those words, Gu Qing suddenly let out a bitter laugh. In the past, she had been certain, but now, she was not so sure anymore.
“How could it not be you?”
“If the heir didn’t care about you, why would he rush to Hangzhou just because of one letter from you? Why would he risk rumors and gossip to take you away from the Fang family? And think back to that day—how did the heir treat you compared to Eldest Miss? Everyone saw it with their own eyes! If Eldest Miss hadn’t been angered by the heir’s attitude, why else would she have left?”
Seeing that her mistress’s once-distracted gaze was slowly regaining focus, Xueya held her soft, helpless hands and continued, “Mistress, you already gave up the heir to Eldest Miss once. Are you really going to let him go to her again?”
Gu Qing’s eyes wavered.
Xueya pressed on, “A wife will grow old, and besides, the madam is not even the true head of the Gu family. As for the Marquis, yes, he is powerful, but he is stationed at Yanmen Pass all year round—he is too far away to interfere!”
“Mistress, the only person you can rely on now is the heir!”
Of course, she knew this was unfair to Eldest Miss, but in this world, how much fairness was there to begin with? Besides, it was Eldest Miss herself who chose to divorce. No one had forced her.
Seeing that her mistress was still hesitating, Xueya urgently called out, “Mistress! Do you really want to return to the Gu family and spend the rest of your life as a lonely, ridiculed spinster, unable to lift your head? Or do you think there is another man out there better than the heir?”
Gu Qing clenched her fingers tightly. Her face was filled with struggle and hesitation, but in the end, she said, “Go and find out where Ah Ye stayed last night. I… I want to see him.”
“Ah!”
Xueya beamed with joy, quickly got up, and hurried outside. Gu Qing remained seated on the bed for a while before finally rising.
By the time Xueya returned, a quarter of an hour had passed. Gu Qing was sitting before the mirror, dressing up. Noticing Xueya’s sour expression, she couldn’t help but ask, “What’s wrong? Who upset you?”
Xueya had indeed been angered.
The servants in the courtyard refused to run errands for her, so she had to go herself. When she tried to inquire about the heir, several people sneered and mocked her. She had always been pampered by Gu Qing, and her temper had grown accordingly. She wanted to vent her frustration, but not wanting to delay her mistress’s plans, she merely said, “It’s nothing,” though inwardly, she had already remembered every single one of those insolent servants.
She planned to make them pay once her mistress married the heir.
Gu Qing didn’t press further. She was just about to place a white silk flower in her hair when Xueya stopped her. “Mistress, since you’ve already made up your mind, don’t wear this anymore. It’ll only upset the heir if he sees it.”
“But…”
Gu Qing spoke, looking at Xueya’s disapproving gaze, and pursed her red lips.
She wasn’t completely devoid of feelings for Fang Yanru. He had been gentle, tolerant, and utterly devoted to her, never blaming her even though he knew her heart belonged to someone else. Gu Qing thought that if Fang Yanru were still alive, and they had continued to spend years together, she might have eventually fallen in love with him.
But the word “if” existed precisely because such things could never happen.
With a sigh, she stared at the silk flower for a long time but ultimately did not stop Xueya, allowing her to pin a pearl hairpin into her hair.
…
Xiao Ye had drunk a lot the previous night.
As a result, the man who usually rose at dawn was still lying in bed.