The entire room was silent.
Whether it was the servants inside the room or the attendants outside, all of them were staring in shock. Having grown accustomed to the dutiful obedience of the Heir’s Wife toward the Heir, this was the first time they had seen her question the Heir in such a manner.
It was as if the veil covering the surface had been torn away, exposing the ugliest side underneath.
Ting Yun was also stunned. She hadn’t expected her mistress to speak up. She had thought that, like before, her mistress would once again endure everything in silence.
Xiao Ye clearly hadn’t expected her to say such words either. In the originally hollow part of his heart, something suddenly gave a faint tremor. However, when he looked at Gu Qing, whose eyes were already red beside him, his brows immediately furrowed. “What do you mean by this?”
“Ah Ye.”
Gu Qing called him by his old name, but the moment the words left her mouth, she realized it was inappropriate. She didn’t dare look at Gu Lanyin, lowering her head as she corrected herself, “…Brother-in-law, I should leave.”
As she spoke, she wiped the corners of her reddened eyes and forced a smile before bowing slightly to Gu Lanyin. “Elder Sister, I’m sorry. Don’t be angry. I’ll leave right away.”
She turned to walk out as she spoke, but before she could take a step, Xiao Ye grabbed her arm. The man’s thick brows were tightly knitted, his voice carrying a suppressed anger. “At a time like this, where do you want to go? Back to your husband’s household? Do you not know…”
Seeing the sudden pallor of the woman’s face, Xiao Ye’s heart clenched. He immediately realized he had spoken words he shouldn’t have. All his anger instantly dissipated, and his voice unconsciously softened, carrying an unprecedented gentleness as he comforted her, “Enough. As long as I am here, no one can drive you away.”
After pacifying Gu Qing, Xiao Ye turned his gaze toward Gu Lanyin. Looking at the beautiful woman who still wore a faint smile at the corner of her lips, an inexplicable dissatisfaction arose in his heart. Did she not understand? If he had been even a little later, Qing’er would have died!
Qing’er had suffered such an ordeal. This was the time when she was most helpless and in need of support and warmth. Yet Gu Lanyin had not even bothered to ask what had happened and instead used such words to stab Qing’er in the heart.
When had she become so cold-hearted?
He forcibly suppressed his anger, but a trace of it still inevitably leaked out. “Qing’er is your younger sister. What’s wrong with her staying here?”
Faced with Xiao Ye’s questioning, Gu Lanyin found that her heart remained surprisingly calm.
Perhaps this was what it meant not to love someone anymore. His interrogation, his resentment, his cold words—none of it could stir a ripple in her heart.
And yet, who would have known that there was a time when she, too, had reddened her eyes at his harsh questioning, when she, too, had spent countless nights sleepless?
But in the end, it had all passed.
And it was a good thing that it had passed.
Because once it was over, she would no longer have to suffer that pain again.
Gu Lanyin paid no attention to Xiao Ye. Instead, she walked toward the two of them at her own pace. Seeing Gu Qing shrink behind Xiao Ye at her approach, Ting Yun became furious, but Gu Lanyin merely raised a delicate brow and said nothing.
She sat down on a round stool covered in crimson embroidered brocade. Only after Ting Yun brought tea did she leisurely take a sip. Then, placing her hands gently on her lap, she looked at Xiao Ye and spoke.
“If Qing’er is only staying for two or three days, that is naturally fine.”
“But after all, this household bears the surname Xiao, not Gu. If she stays for too long, it’s inevitable that people will start talking.”
“Gossip is a terrible thing. As a man, you may not care about these matters, but do you not understand how devastating rumors can be for a woman?”
As she said this, she observed the contemplative look on Xiao Ye’s face, a glint of unconcealed mockery in her eyes.
Back then, when she was framed and unable to defend herself, he had not shown even a moment’s hesitation.
So this was the difference between love and indifference.
“Then what do you think should be done?”
“Me?” Gu Lanyin withdrew her gaze and glanced at Gu Qing behind him. She saw the girl’s small face tense up again, her red lips tightly bitten from fear and unease. Gu Lanyin was almost worried that she might bite down too hard and draw blood.
But a beauty shedding blood—perhaps that would make for a rather striking scene.
At the very least, it would surely break the heart of the man before her.
Gu Lanyin did not answer immediately.
Instead, she thought back to her previous life.
Back then, what had she done?
At Xiao Ye’s casual instruction, even though she had felt sorrow deep in her heart, she had still made arrangements for Gu Qing without hesitation. Not only that, but she had even specifically ordered the servants to take good care of her and had issued strict commands forbidding them from gossiping in private.
But what had Xiao Ye done?
He disregarded his own status, disregarded her dignity, and personally tended to Gu Qing every day, fearing that she might not live comfortably in the residence. Over time, Gu Qing’s life in the manor became smooth and untroubled. And she? A woman unloved by her husband, a woman whose own biological sister had stolen her husband—what kind of gossip did others spread about her behind her back?
Mockery flickered in her eyes.
Gu Lanyin spoke casually, “There are quite a few secondary estates in the household. I think it would be better to arrange for Qing’er to stay at the one in the eastern part of the city. The scenery there is beautiful—it’s an excellent place for recuperation.”
“No!”
This time, it was Gu Qing who spoke first. Her tear-filled eyes shimmered, her pale face made even more pitiable by the mourning attire she still wore for her recently deceased husband. The sight of her was truly heart-wrenching.
“If Elder Sister doesn’t wish to keep me here, I will leave on my own. There’s no need to force me away.” She wiped her tears as she spoke, then turned to walk out again.
Xiao Ye, who had originally been somewhat moved by Gu Lanyin’s words, immediately changed his expression at this scene. “Didn’t I tell you to stay here properly?” His voice carried a trace of helplessness, and whatever hesitation or wavering he had felt disappeared entirely.
After pacifying Gu Qing, he turned to Gu Lanyin and instructed, “Qing’er is your younger sister. Just find any excuse to let her stay in the manor—who would dare say anything?”
“Enough.”
He made the final decision, leaving no room for argument. “This matter is settled. Qing’er and I have had a long and exhausting journey. Arrange a place for her to rest properly.”
“I still have things to do.”
With that, he turned to leave.
But behind him, Gu Lanyin’s voice rang out.
“What if I refuse?”
His footsteps halted.
Xiao Ye turned back, his gaze falling upon Gu Lanyin, who remained seated with perfect composure. His brows knitted together once more. From Hangzhou to Bianjing, he had endured an arduous journey. His official duties were not yet completed—he still had to report in. And yet, the wife who should have been managing the household and easing his burdens had, for some reason, been repeatedly contradicting his decisions today.
From the moment he saw Gu Lanyin today, he had felt that something was off.
Now, suppressing his irritation, he pinched the bridge of his nose and asked in a weary voice, “What’s gotten into you today?”
“Nothing,” Gu Lanyin answered truthfully. “I am simply telling you—I do not agree. What will you do then?”
She wondered—
Xiao Ye must be displeased now.
A wife who had been obedient for three years had suddenly developed her own will, forcing him to choose between his beloved and his wife. How could he not be angry?
But so what?
She no longer needed Xiao Ye’s love. She didn’t even want to remain the Heir’s Wife anymore.
Since that was the case, whether Xiao Ye was pleased or furious had nothing to do with her.
In her previous life, she had feared upsetting him so much that she hadn’t even dared to ask him to make a choice.
Perhaps deep down, she had already known—he would have chosen Gu Qing.
Outside the window, clouds drifted lazily.
Sparrows chirped endlessly, unaware of exhaustion.
Dressed in red with golden ornaments, Gu Lanyin stood not far away. Xiao Ye’s brows furrowed deeply as he lowered his hand from his forehead, his gaze dark and unfathomable as he stared at her.
“Brother-in-law…”
Gu Qing’s voice sounded beside him.
But this time, Xiao Ye did not look at her. His deep gaze remained fixed on Gu Lanyin. “And if I insist on doing this?”
“In that case…”
Gu Lanyin’s lips curled into a faint smile.
Resting a hand on the table, she slowly stood up. Under the man’s cold and piercing stare, she smiled gently and said,
“Then allow me to make the choice for you—she stays, and I leave. How about that?”
—
Zhilan Courtyard.
Gu Lanyin sat upright in her chair, instructing the maids to pack her belongings.
Though the maids did not dare disobey her orders, their movements were slow, clearly waiting for her to change her mind. How could Gu Lanyin not see through their thoughts? She said indifferently, “Before nightfall, have all my things and dowry packed. You all followed me here—whether you were born into the household or came with a contract—if you wish to leave later, just let me know.”
She paused for a moment before continuing, “If you wish to stay in the Earl Manor, that is not impossible. I will inform Steward Xu.”
“Master!”
All ten or so maids turned pale and fell to their knees.
Shi Yu’s eyes were also red as she knelt at Gu Lanyin’s feet, looking up and pleading, “Master, they don’t wish to stay in the Earl Manor—they just don’t want you to leave like this! Back when the Earl Manor and the Heir were in the most difficult times, you refused to leave. Now that you can finally live a good life, why would you choose to go?”