Gu Fu sat on the couch for a while, still unable to understand why the usually clingy pigeon suddenly started avoiding her. Thinking about it filled her with a peculiar sense of sorrow, so she decided to stop pondering and went back to sleep.
When she woke up, it was already late morning. Mu Qingyao hurried her to go wash up. After freshening up, they followed the customary routine and went together to greet the Old Madam.
On the way, they encountered Gu Fu's sister-in-law, Huo Biyan.
Huo Biyan's father used to be a colleague of Gu Qizheng. Later, when the Huo family encountered so troubles and their fortunes declined, Huo Biyan fell ill and seldom left her courtyard, let alone helped Li Shi.
Seeing Gu Fu from a distance, Huo Biyan asked her nanny to support her and hastened to greet Gu Fu. But upon seeing Mu Qingyao beside Gu Fu, the smile on her face imdiately faded, and she beca distant. After exchanging pleasantries, she claid to feel unwell and left.
Gu Fu noticed her sister-in-law's change in deanor. After she walked away, Gu Fu asked Mu Qingyao, "Do you two not get along?”
‘It shouldn't be, right?’ Gu Fu thought. When Qingyao fell into the water and got sick, her sister-in-law went to visit her, and she looked particularly worried when she left. It should be out of concern for Qingyao. How could their relationship suddenly turn sour?
Mu Qingyao opened her mouth but then swallowed back what she wanted to say. "This isn't sothing I should talk about. Otherwise, it would sound like I'm trying to sow discord between you and your sister-in-law. You should ask soone else."
That afternoon, Gu Fu found an opportunity to stop her older brother Gu Chen, who was about to go out, and asked him what was going on between her sister-in-law and Mu Qingyao.
Gu Chen didn't expect Gu Fu to ask about this and, afraid of being overheard and causing rumors, pulled her to a secluded place and explained briefly.
Actually, the situation wasn't complicated. Mu Qingyao had lived with the Gu family since childhood, and since she and Gu Chen were cousins, naturally, Huo Biyan would be suspicious. Later, as the Huo family declined while Mu Qingyao's father and brothers repeatedly achieved military successes in the northwest, Huo Biyan naturally beca even more wary of Mu Qingyao, fearing that one day Gu Chen might divorce her and marry Mu Qingyao instead.
Regarding this, Gu Chen could only cry out in grievance, "I treat Qingyao like a sister. How could I marry her?"
Gu Fu hadn't expected such a misunderstanding and asked, "What does Qingyao say about this?"
Gu Chen felt a headache coming on when this was ntioned, "After Qingyao found out what Biyan thought, she deliberately distanced herself from . She wouldn't even greet
when we t. But the more she did this, the more suspicious Biyan beca, thinking that we were feeling guilty. Qingyao was also angry and decided not to avoid suspicion anymore. She acts the sa as before now."
Only then did Gu Fu realize that her situation wasn't the only difficult one; her elder brother had his own troubles as well.
Gu Chen then asked Gu Fu, "Did Qingyao make n's clothes for you?"
Gu Fu nodded, "Yes, why?"
Gu Chen slapped his forehead and paced back and forth before finally stopping in front of Gu Fu, "After Qingyao fell into the water, Biyan went to visit her and ca back convinced that I had an affair with Qingyao. She wondered why there were materials for making n's clothes in Qingyao's room. At the ti, I was puzzled about what clothes she was talking about. So, it was indeed for you."
Gu Fu felt sothing was amiss and quietly took a few steps back, "Um, brother, I just rembered Grandmother is looking for . I’ll go over first."
She then bolted, "See you next ti!"
Gu Chen angrily shouted, "Co back here!!"
"See you later!!" Gu Fu dashed off and disappeared.
If she didn’t run now, her elder brother would definitely scold her, and she didn’t want that. As for her sister-in-law, she would explain it later, saying that she wanted to wear n’s clothes and had asked Mu Qingyao to make her a set.
To make her story more convincing, Gu Fu even wore the n’s clothes Mu Qingyao had made for her. Her sister-in-law received her and patiently listened to her explanation.
Before leaving, her sister-in-law held her hand and thanked her for making the trip.
Seeing her sister-in-law’s gentle smile, Gu Fu felt relieved.
—Great, her sister-in-law was reasonable after all.
Gu Fu, having accomplished her mission, left her brother’s courtyard.
As she walked out of the courtyard gate, she suddenly rembered she had only ntioned the clothes and forgot to tell her sister-in-law that Mu Qingyao's father and brothers would return to the capital by next year at the latest. When that happened, Mu Qingyao would be reunited with her family and move out of the Gu residence, so her sister-in-law wouldn’t have to worry anymore.
But when she turned back, she heard the sound of porcelain being smashed to the ground from inside the room, followed by her sister-in-law’s deliberately suppressed roar, "How shaless of them! And they even sent Second Sister to fool ! If those clothes were really for Second Sister, why only explain it now? They must have realized their mistake after hearing my words and quickly made a new set of n’s clothes for Second Sister. Do they take
for a fool?!"
Gu Fu paused outside the door, stood there for a while, and finally turned and left her brother's courtyard before anyone discovered her.
When she returned to Feique Pavilion, the chubby pigeon that had despised her in the morning flew back in from the window, landed beside her hand, circled her hand a few tis, and then cautiously hopped onto her sleeve, inching closer to her shoulder.
Gu Fu let it be. It wasn’t until it perched on her shoulder and fluttered its wings happily that Gu Fu ca back to her senses, stroked the chubby pigeon, and murmured to herself, "As expected, it’s still better not to get involved."
...
This was the first New Year after the old madam and Gu Fu returned ho, and it was said to be much livelier than when the old madam wasn’t around.
Gu Fu couldn't compare to past years when she wasn't ho, but she felt that eting guests or going out every day was even more exhausting than fighting battles.
One morning, Gu Fu woke up early to see Nanny Wei from the old madam's courtyard. Nanny Wei pressed Gu Fu in front of the dressing mirror to get her ready, a scene so familiar that it reminded Gu Fu of the day Xie Zichen ca to the Gu residence with his parents.
Gu Fu was puzzled and asked Nanny Wei a few questions, learning that she would be accompanying the old madam to visit an old friend.
Gu Fu felt there was more to it, and sure enough, when they arrived at her grandmother's old friend's house, Gu Fu discovered that there were other guests as well: Lady Changning and her youngest son, Wen Xi.
It turned out that her grandmother's old friend had so connections with Lady Changning’s family, and was asked to arrange this eting opportunity for both sides.
While the old madam, her old friend, and Lady Changning chatted in the hall, Gu Fu was once again sent off to stroll in the garden.
Following her previous experience, Gu Fu looked around the garden and indeed found a young boy under a tree not far away.
The boy was dressed in neat red clothes, with a trendy sh scarf on his forehead. He looked even younger than Gu Fu's third brother, with a delicate and pretty face that could be described as finely sculpted.
Gu Fu looked at the boy from afar and noticed his lack of interest, which gave her so reassurance. But only "so," because clearly, this marriage wasn't sothing the boy had a say in, and his wishes probably wouldn't matter much.
On the way back ho with the old madam, Gu Fu was asked about her thoughts. She didn't feign agreent but stated that the boy was too young and not to her liking. However, this clearly wasn't enough to persuade the old madam.
Back ho, Gu Fu began to consider whether she should go out again at night to investigate. However, the Changning Marquis's residence was on Xuanyang Street, too close to the Qitian Tower. Gu Fu worried about a repeat of history, being chased by the Imperial Preceptor with the Sunset Bow.
Before Gu Fu could make up her mind, her third brother, Gu Zhu, ca looking for her.
This surprised Gu Fu because she knew her third brother was the most afraid of interacting with people, and this was the first ti he had co to her voluntarily.
Gu Fu asked the maid to invite Gu Zhu in and offered him so snacks.
Gu Zhu, carrying a gloomy air that kept people at a distance, obediently complied but didn't ntion why he had co to see Gu Fu. Instead, he kept sneaking glances at the maids serving in Gu Fu's room.
Gu Fu knew that Gu Zhu wanted to talk to her privately, but she deliberately teased him after dismissing the others in the room: "Third Brother, with that look on your face, don't tell
you've taken a fancy to soone in my courtyard."
Gu Zhu blushed and even stood up, hastily explaining, "No, no, no, I don't an that."
Seeing how honest and easy to tease he was, Gu Fu felt a bit embarrassed to continue: "I know, I know, I was just joking. Co on, sit down. What did you want to talk about?"
Gu Zhu sat back down and, with his head lowered, took a letter from his sleeve and said softly, "Zi Quan asked
to deliver this."
Gu Fu raised an eyebrow, "Who is Zi Quan?"
Gu Zhu quickly explained, "That's Wen Xi's courtesy na. I got used to calling him that at the academy."
Wen Xi had sent her a letter through her third brother?
Gu Fu took the letter and started to open it while listening to her brother: "Zi Quan—Wen Xi—is a year younger than , but he's very smart. The teachers at the academy all praise his intelligence and his excellent essays. He's just a bit childish and stubborn. I've heard that Second Sister might be discussing marriage with him. Please don't think he's a bad person because of his temper. He's actually very good. The other day when I fainted at the academy, it was him who found
and carried
to the doctor..."
Gu Fu unfolded the letter and laughed out loud at its contents.
Gu Zhu, seeing her laugh, thought Wen Xi must have written sothing amusing and instinctively glanced at the letter.
What he saw nearly made him fall over. Written in bold, thick strokes were five large characters:
"I will never marry you!"
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