For a moment, Xiao Ye felt a surge of hatred towards Lanyin.
He hated her decisiveness, hated her ruthlessness. But after the hatred subsided, an endless wave of regret and pain spread through his limbs and bones, as if a giant hand was squeezing his heart. That piercing pain surged once more.
Xiao Ye’s face turned pale. He gritted his teeth, pressing his palm against the aching spot on his chest.
He told himself—
It was just a woman.
If she was gone, then she was gone. Could it be that without Gu Lanyin, he wouldn’t be able to survive?
He even considered having Zhou An send both the divorce letter and their marriage certificate to the Ministry of Revenue. If she wanted to leave him so badly, he would grant her wish. From now on, they would go their separate ways, never to cross paths again!
But the moment he thought about handing over those two documents, it meant that he and Lanyin would truly have nothing to do with each other anymore.
She was not Lady Xu. She had her own family. Once she left the marquis’s residence, there were still many places she could go.
They had no children to serve as a bond between them. If even the nominal husband-and-wife tie was severed, then he and she would truly have nothing left.
“…My lord?”
Xiao Ye had kept his head down all this time, making it impossible for Lady Xu to see his expression. Fearing that something might be wrong, she hesitated for a moment before softly calling out to him.
Xiao Ye did not respond.
Just as Lady Xu was about to step forward, she finally heard his voice.
“Get out.”
“What?”
His voice had been too soft at first, and she didn’t catch it.
It wasn’t until Xiao Ye repeated himself coldly that she stopped mid-step.
She stood there, looking at Xiao Ye for a long time.
In the end, she remained silent and walked out.
From the moment she turned to leave, Xiao Ye never said another word. He did not even spare her a glance.
Lady Xu found it amusing.
She no longer loved him, yet being treated like this by Xiao Ye still made her feel uneasy, even a little unwilling.
For just a brief moment, as she turned away, she had even held onto a sliver of hope and anticipation.
She knew exactly why Xiao Ye had become like this.
Because of a woman he had ignored for three years—one who now left without hesitation.
Lady Xu wondered—
Was Xiao Ye like this because the person who left was Gu Lanyin?
Or was it simply because Gu Lanyin’s departure had wounded his pride?
If she, like Lanyin, also left without hesitation, would she too leave a mark in Xiao Ye’s heart? Would she make him like this, whether out of love or hate?
But it was just a fleeting thought.
She was not Gu Lanyin, nor did she have the courage to walk away.
Her red lips curled into a self-mocking smile. Without looking back, she resolutely opened the door and stepped outside.
As soon as she reached the doorway, she saw Gu Qing’s maid, Xueya, holding a pair of newly made boots.
Upon seeing her, Xueya merely gave a half-hearted bow, lifting her chin high. She didn’t even bother to greet Lady Xu before striding forward.
Lianxin was so furious that her face turned red. “That maid is too much! Even Madam Fang greets you politely, yet this insignificant wench dares to act so high and mighty? Who gave her such audacity?”
She was about to confront Xueya, but Lady Xu lazily lifted a hand to stop her. She merely cast a glance behind her, a smile that was not quite a smile on her lips.
“What’s the point of arguing with someone like her? She won’t have many more days to flaunt her power.”
But even Lady Xu hadn’t expected things to happen so quickly.
Just as she was about to leave, she heard Xueya’s delicate voice outside Xiao Ye’s room.
“My lord, my lady has made these boots for you. Please try them on and see if they fit.”
Lady Xu had no intention of lingering—until she suddenly heard Xiao Ye’s voice from behind her.
“Get out.”
The single word not only stunned Xueya but also halted Lady Xu in her steps.
“This…”
Lianxin was also surprised, whispering, “Is the young master finally not indulging the master and servant of Xiangliu Courtyard anymore?”
Lady Xu glanced back, remaining silent for a moment before calmly stating, “It’s not that easy.” If Xiao Ye could truly be so decisive, the current situation wouldn’t have arisen. Sure enough, the next moment, while Xueya was still in shock, Xiao Ye’s icy voice came from inside the room again, “Leave the things and go. Do not mention what just happened to your mistress.”
Even without seeing him, Xueya could feel Xiao Ye’s imposing pressure and dared not argue. She hastily agreed, her face pale, set down the items, and left.
As she passed by Lady Xu, Xueya, who had been so arrogant earlier, didn’t dare to look at her and ran off with her head down.
However, Lianxin had no mind to laugh at Xueya now. She looked at her mistress, whose expression was unreadable, and softly called, “Mistress?”
“Hmm?”
Lady Xu snapped out of her thoughts and, seeing the concern in Lianxin’s eyes, forced a smile, “Let’s go.” She walked forward without looking back or glancing at the person in the room behind her.
The next day.
Lanyin glanced at Lady Xu sitting across from her, who had been silent since her arrival, looking somewhat distracted. She placed a freshly brewed cup of tea in front of her and asked gently, “What’s wrong?”
“…Nothing.”
Lady Xu came back to her senses, picked up the tea cup, thought about drinking it, then set it down. After a moment, she looked at Lanyin and said ambiguously, “Last night, Xiao Mingchuan went to the estate looking for you.”
Lanyin was unaware of this.
The action of pouring tea paused, but only for a breath before the stream of water from the teapot continued to fill the cup. Watching the tea leaves unfurl in the cup, Lanyin set the teapot aside, then leisurely wiped her hands with a handkerchief before speaking to Lady Xu, “And then?”
She asked for the follow-up, yet her expression remained serene and composed, seemingly indifferent to what Xiao Ye had done.
“He called me over to ask if I knew where you were and even scolded Gu Qing’s maid…” Seeing that Lanyin’s expression didn’t change at all, Lady Xu suddenly felt deflated, and the resentment she had been holding since yesterday completely dissipated.
“You really don’t care anymore,” she murmured, her fingers lightly touching the tea cup, her eyes downcast.
She did not care about Xiao Ye’s reaction, nor did she care whether Gu Qing had suffered a setback. To her, that earl’s residence was already a world apart from hers.
Lady Xu suddenly found herself sincerely admiring the woman before her—not just for her decisiveness in severing ties but also for her magnanimity in letting go of love and hatred. If it had been her, if Xiao Ye had lowered his head and admitted his mistakes at this moment, even if she did not love him, she would have chosen to return. She would have repaid all the grievances, unwillingness, and resentment she had once endured.
“There was never anything worth caring about in the first place.”
Caring only meant that something still lingered in her heart. But whether it was Xiao Ye or Gu Qing, they were matters of a past life to her now. Lanyin had no intention of wasting her bright future on those two ever again.
Still, she could understand Lady Xu’s thoughts.
But when it came to matters of the heart, while others might offer help in other areas, love was something only one could resolve for oneself.
“Have you given any thought to what I mentioned before?” Lanyin asked, returning to the main topic.
“You’re no less skilled than I am.” Lady Xu had spent three years with her, so she naturally understood Lanyin’s abilities.
Lanyin chuckled, neither denying nor boasting. She spoke plainly, “I do have skills, but I know that your mother was a renowned embroiderer in Suzhou, and your ancestors even developed a unique embroidery technique.”
Lady Xu raised an eyebrow. “You want me to teach your people?”
Lanyin shook her head.
Seeing Lady Xu’s puzzled gaze, she took a slow sip of tea before meeting her eyes with a smile.
“Not just my people—our people. I’ll give you a share of the profits. No matter how much the shop earns each year, you’ll receive thirty percent.”
Lady Xu fell silent, staring at her.
A moment later, she took out an ancient embroidery book from her sleeve, along with five banknotes, each worth a thousand taels.
This time, it was Lanyin’s turn to be stunned. “This is…”
“I won’t take your profits for nothing.”
“You aren’t—” Lanyin set down her teacup, about to explain, but Lady Xu cut her off.
“Gu Lanyin, I’m not a fool. My family’s embroidery technique isn’t some unparalleled treasure. If you wanted, there would be plenty of people willing to teach you.”
“I know you’re helping me.”
Lanyin thought for a moment and said, “I wouldn’t call it helping. I just know you well, and working together would be more convenient.”
Lady Xu paused for a long moment before glancing at her with mild exasperation.
“You… You’re still as irritating as ever.”
Her words spoke of annoyance, but a smile slowly surfaced in her eyes.
She pushed the two items in front of Lanyin. “The money isn’t much, but it’s everything I have. Handing it over makes me feel at ease.”
She had made up her mind, so Lanyin did not argue further. As she accepted the items, she chuckled and asked, “Aren’t you afraid of losing it all?”
“Not at all.”
Lady Xu, her heart now settled, leisurely sipped her tea. At Lanyin’s question, she merely responded with a calm certainty.
“You, Gu Lanyin, have never failed in anything you set your mind to.”
Seeing the slight daze on Lanyin’s face, she smirked. “And even if you did fail, do you think I’d be afraid of you running away?”
Lanyin couldn’t help but laugh at how much faith Lady Xu had in her.
She called Ting Yun inside, handing her the items before having someone draft a contract. After affixing her private seal, she passed it to Lady Xu. Once Lady Xu accepted it, she asked, “Would you like to stay for dinner?”
“No, Yi’an is waiting at home.”
Lady Xu couldn’t rest easy leaving her child alone, and besides, she didn’t want to rouse Xiao Ye’s suspicions. Just as she was about to rise and leave, Lanyin called her back.
“Wait a moment.”
She instructed Ting Yun to bring out a record book she had prepared earlier.
“Lianxin mentioned that you’re managing the household now. I left in a hurry before and didn’t have time to explain things to you. This book details the background of all the household stewards. When you get home, take a good look at it. Managing a household isn’t difficult, but it isn’t easy either. The key is to understand each person’s nature and make them work for you.”
Lady Xu looked at the booklet in Lanyin’s hand but did not immediately reach out to take it. Instead, she lifted her gaze to Lanyin, who sat gracefully across from her. Observing Lanyin’s serene and gentle face, she suddenly lowered her eyes and smiled softly, a look of relief in her downcast gaze.
“Gu Lanyin,” she said, looking up.
“Hmm?” Lanyin responded, meeting her gaze.
“If I were a man, I would definitely marry you,” Lady Xu said, her eyes fixed on Lanyin.
Her sudden, unexpected remark not only stunned Ting Yun but also left Lanyin momentarily speechless. After a moment of surprise, Lanyin laughed, “If you really married me, you might regret those words. I might make a good friend, but I’m not necessarily a good wife.”
She knew her own temperament.
Her youthful experiences made it difficult for her to entrust her heart to others, especially after what she had been through recently, which made it even harder. However, she had no intention of marrying again. Seeing Lady Xu frown, as if displeased with her self-deprecating words, Lanyin didn’t mind. She stood up and smiled, “Come on, I’ll walk you out.”
She led the way out, and Lady Xu had no choice but to follow.
On their way out, Lady Xu brought up a matter, “Yesterday, Steward Xu sent someone to the estate to deliver a message to my mother. However, I heard from the messenger that my mother and father went on a trip some time ago and haven’t returned yet.”
After saying this, she added a warning, “Be careful. I think Xiao Mingchuan…” Lady Xu’s expression grew complicated, “He probably won’t let this go easily.”
Lanyin fell silent upon hearing this.
However, she didn’t elaborate further at that moment. Just as she was about to see Lady Xu off to her carriage, she heard the sound of hoofbeats in the distance. Turning to look, she saw that it was Qi Yubai returning from his duties.
“Miss Gu!”
Tianqing greeted her as usual.
Lanyin smiled and nodded in return.
Lady Xu didn’t think much of it, assuming it was someone Lanyin had recently met. She was about to bid farewell to Lanyin and board the carriage when she saw the person stepping out of the carriage… The man was dressed in a crimson official robe, with phoenix eyes and long brows, his demeanor noble and reserved. It was the same man she had encountered in the eastern suburbs not long ago.