Gu Ying felt that the Prince was quite strange at times.
He was awkward, aloof, cold on the outside, which made him seem unapproachable. But in fact he was very warm-hearted.
Whenever she thanked him, he would brush it off as if those things he did were a given.
Why would Huo Qiyun not want such a man?
She thought about it for a while but could not figure it out.
She had only heard that Huo Qiyun had once truly and wholeheartedly loved the Prince as well, but later something happened that no one knew about.
It was probably some unavoidable misery that made a woman have to reluctantly give up the man she loved.
But she did not know much about the matters between the two of them, mostly hearsay from others. Now she was about to become Zhao Changdu's wife, marrying into the Duke's Residence, and living under the same roof as Huo Qiyun. How would he handle himself in such a situation?
"Gu Ying?"
Gu Ying snapped back to reality, looked up and quickly followed behind the man, smiling, "Did the Prince come by carriage?"
Zhao Changdu looked at her lightly, at the butterfly-like long lashes, "No, I came by horse."
Gu Ying stammered, "Let me arrange a carriage for you."
Zhao Changdu stopped her, "No need."
He had been in the military on the border for many years, and was used to the rough life. He was not accustomed to the exquisitely crafted carriages of Bianjing.
Ever since he returned to Bianjing, he had always ridden on horseback through the streets, disregarding how others saw him.
"But I..." Gu Ying hesitated.
Dressed like this, it was not proper for her to flaunt herself in public.
Seeing the girl's delicate and frail appearance, Zhao Changdu's heart softened again, and the corners of his lips curled up slightly, "Then I'll trouble you."
Only then did Gu Ying feel relieved, and had Yinglan prepare a carriage.
Since the Prince wanted a carriage, no one in the household dared say anything.
Of course they prepared the best carriage available.
Jiang Yin stood at the doorway, hands folded in his wide sleeves, watching Gu Ying and Zhao Changdu standing side by side. His eyes were pitch black.
As Gu Ying lifted her skirt to get on the carriage, she glanced back and saw Jiang Yin's figure standing at the door. The corners of her mouth curled up in a smile.
Jiang Yin's face darkened as he clenched his fists, glaring at her as if wishing he could snatch her over and strangle her, to properly ask why she was treating him like this!
Gu Ying knew why he was watching her. Everything he had experienced today at the Marquis's residence was orchestrated by her.
Jiang Yin was clever, it would not take him long to figure out the connections.
But so what?
She enjoyed seeing him resent her yet unable to do anything about it.
"Prince, could you give me a hand?"
Zhao Changdu said nothing, also noticing Jiang Yin's figure. He knew the girl was using him, yet he still reached out and pulled her onto the carriage.
Jiang Yin's face could no longer be described as furious. He clenched his fists tightly until his knuckles turned white.
He wished he could grab Gu Ying, choke her by the neck, and demand why she was treating him this way!
"Brother!"
Jiang Ling'er ran over wearing a heavy cloak, seeing the man's lonely silhouette, and hugged him around the waist in distress, "Brother, what's wrong? Are you sick?"
Jiang Yin leaned against the wall, breathing heavily for a while, frowning, and said hoarsely, "Ling'er, I have a headache."
Jiang Ling'er's eyes instantly turned red. She wished she could warm him with her own body. "Brother, let me help you back. You're just too tired recently. Rest well and you'll be fine."
Jiang Yin closed his eyes and let Jiang Ling'er support him as they walked inside.
The wind and snow blew relentlessly, making his head throb in pain.
He walked with his eyes closed for a while, when suddenly, a piercing white light flashed through his mind.
He suddenly opened his eyes wide, a few traces of confusion and helplessness in his dark pupils.
The snow made the roads slippery. Jiang Ling'er supported Jiang Yin as they slowly walked.
As he walked, he followed the white glow in his mind...
"Ling'er."
He suddenly froze in place, his handsome face deathly pale.
"What's wrong, brother?"
"Gu Ying and I-"
Jiang Ling'er gnashed her teeth in resentment, "Why mention her again, brother? I hate her as much as she hates you!"
But Jiang Yin's eyes suddenly turned red as he shook his head, "No...no...how could that be? How could she hate me? She clearly..."
As he walked in the snow, a bizarre scene suddenly appeared in his mind.
Gu Ying looked at him brightly, her eyes full of love as she held out the branch plum sachet with both hands in front of him, softly calling him "Brother Jiang".
He had never seen her so humble.
Humble to the point that a cold look from him would make her aggrieved enough to cry.
"She did like me..." He questioned aloud, eyebrows deeply furrowed, lips slightly parted.
The scene was so real, as if it had actually happened before.
Along with Gu Ying's previous words to him that they were once husband and wife.
Could it be...this Gu Ying was possessed by an evil spirit that seized the original Gu Ying's body?
Where had the Gu Ying who liked him, admired him, wished to be with him forever gone?
Just who was the monster that now occupied Gu Ying's body?!
The more he thought, the more his head hurt, as if countless sharp thorns were buried in his brain, about to break through the surface.
He let out a painful cry, "Ah!"
Jiang Ling'er shrank back in fear, carefully looking at her brother's bloodshot eyes, "Brother, what's wrong with you? Could it be you've fallen for Second Miss Gu?"
Jiang Yin stared sinisterly at the snow white ground, redness at the corners of his eyes. He let out a mocking laugh, a layer of frost on his face.
"Love her?"
"Absurd!"
"I only want to kill her!"
"She's about to have her grand wedding, isn't she?" Jiang Yin's lip line tightened, his smile hideous, "I will make sure that doesn't happen."
Even though he denied it, Jiang Ling'er could still see the pain and struggle in his unwilling eyes.
It was a lie to say he didn't love her...
She wrinkled her brows in shock, feeling chilled all over. Just the thought that her brother had fallen for Gu Ying made her heart ache painfully like being cut by a dull knife.
...
In the carriage.
The carriage was not big, and the two sat facing each other in silence.
Thinking that they would soon be married, Gu Ying felt uneasy no matter how she thought about it. Coupled with just now subtly using him to provoke Jiang Yin, she was extremely apprehensive at this moment. She avoided his gaze, lifting a corner of the carriage curtain to look outside.
Zhao Changdu's voice was clear and melodious, "It's still early, I'll take you somewhere."
Gu Ying blinked, "Where to?"
Zhao Changdu's lips curled up slightly, "You'll know when you get there."
Gu Ying rarely interacted so intimately with men. Other than Jiang Yin in her past life, Zhao Changdu was the first.
She did not know what feelings she had for him, but he was ten times better than Jiang Yin.
The carriage bumped along on the street. The blue stone road was covered by a layer of snow. Officials outside were shouting loudly as they shoveled snow, mixed with the enthusiastic calls of the merchants. It was full of commoner liveliness.
Gu Ying leaned back drowsily in the carriage, falling asleep again. When she woke up, she heard a gentle voice calling her name, "Gu Ying, wake up."
Gu Ying let out a soft moan as she opened her sleepy eyes to see a handsome face zoomed in before her.
Gu Ying felt that the Prince was quite strange at times.
He was awkward, aloof, cold on the outside, which made him seem unapproachable. But in fact he was very warm-hearted.
Whenever she thanked him, he would brush it off as if those things he did were a given.
Why would Huo Qiyun not want such a man?
She thought about it for a while but could not figure it out.
She had only heard that Huo Qiyun had once truly and wholeheartedly loved the Prince as well, but later something happened that no one knew about.
It was probably some unavoidable misery that made a woman have to reluctantly give up the man she loved.
But she did not know much about the matters between the two of them, mostly hearsay from others. Now she was about to become Zhao Changdu's wife, marrying into the Duke's Residence, and living under the same roof as Huo Qiyun. How would he handle himself in such a situation?
"Gu Ying?"
Gu Ying snapped back to reality, looked up and quickly followed behind the man, smiling, "Did the Prince come by carriage?"
Zhao Changdu looked at her lightly, at the butterfly-like long lashes, "No, I came by horse."
Gu Ying stammered, "Let me arrange a carriage for you."
Zhao Changdu stopped her, "No need."
He had been in the military on the border for many years, and was used to the rough life. He was not accustomed to the exquisitely crafted carriages of Bianjing.
Ever since he returned to Bianjing, he had always ridden on horseback through the streets, disregarding how others saw him.
"But I..." Gu Ying hesitated.
Dressed like this, it was not proper for her to flaunt herself in public.
Seeing the girl's delicate and frail appearance, Zhao Changdu's heart softened again, and the corners of his lips curled up slightly, "Then I'll trouble you."
Only then did Gu Ying feel relieved, and had Yinglan prepare a carriage.
Since the Prince wanted a carriage, no one in the household dared say anything.
Of course they prepared the best carriage available.
Jiang Yin stood at the doorway, hands folded in his wide sleeves, watching Gu Ying and Zhao Changdu standing side by side. His eyes were pitch black.
As Gu Ying lifted her skirt to get on the carriage, she glanced back and saw Jiang Yin's figure standing at the door. The corners of her mouth curled up in a smile.
Jiang Yin's face darkened as he clenched his fists, glaring at her as if wishing he could snatch her over and strangle her, to properly ask why she was treating him like this!
Gu Ying knew why he was watching her. Everything he had experienced today at the Marquis's residence was orchestrated by her.
Jiang Yin was clever, it would not take him long to figure out the connections.
But so what?
She enjoyed seeing him resent her yet unable to do anything about it.
"Prince, could you give me a hand?"
Zhao Changdu said nothing, also noticing Jiang Yin's figure. He knew the girl was using him, yet he still reached out and pulled her onto the carriage.
Jiang Yin's face could no longer be described as furious. He clenched his fists tightly until his knuckles turned white.
He wished he could grab Gu Ying, choke her by the neck, and demand why she was treating him this way!
"Brother!"
Jiang Ling'er ran over wearing a heavy cloak, seeing the man's lonely silhouette, and hugged him around the waist in distress, "Brother, what's wrong? Are you sick?"
Jiang Yin leaned against the wall, breathing heavily for a while, frowning, and said hoarsely, "Ling'er, I have a headache."
Jiang Ling'er's eyes instantly turned red. She wished she could warm him with her own body. "Brother, let me help you back. You're just too tired recently. Rest well and you'll be fine."
Jiang Yin closed his eyes and let Jiang Ling'er support him as they walked inside.
The wind and snow blew relentlessly, making his head throb in pain.
He walked with his eyes closed for a while, when suddenly, a piercing white light flashed through his mind.
He suddenly opened his eyes wide, a few traces of confusion and helplessness in his dark pupils.
The snow made the roads slippery. Jiang Ling'er supported Jiang Yin as they slowly walked.
As he walked, he followed the white glow in his mind...
"Ling'er."
He suddenly froze in place, his handsome face deathly pale.
"What's wrong, brother?"
"Gu Ying and I-"
Jiang Ling'er gnashed her teeth in resentment, "Why mention her again, brother? I hate her as much as she hates you!"
But Jiang Yin's eyes suddenly turned red as he shook his head, "No...no...how could that be? How could she hate me? She clearly..."
As he walked in the snow, a bizarre scene suddenly appeared in his mind.
Gu Ying looked at him brightly, her eyes full of love as she held out the branch plum sachet with both hands in front of him, softly calling him "Brother Jiang".
He had never seen her so humble.
Humble to the point that a cold look from him would make her aggrieved enough to cry.
"She did like me..." He questioned aloud, eyebrows deeply furrowed, lips slightly parted.
The scene was so real, as if it had actually happened before.
Along with Gu Ying's previous words to him that they were once husband and wife.
Could it be...this Gu Ying was possessed by an evil spirit that seized the original Gu Ying's body?
Where had the Gu Ying who liked him, admired him, wished to be with him forever gone?
Just who was the monster that now occupied Gu Ying's body?!
The more he thought, the more his head hurt, as if countless sharp thorns were buried in his brain, about to break through the surface.
He let out a painful cry, "Ah!"
Jiang Ling'er shrank back in fear, carefully looking at her brother's bloodshot eyes, "Brother, what's wrong with you? Could it be you've fallen for Second Miss Gu?"
Jiang Yin stared sinisterly at the snow white ground, redness at the corners of his eyes. He let out a mocking laugh, a layer of frost on his face.
"Love her?"
"Absurd!"
"I only want to kill her!"
"She's about to have her grand wedding, isn't she?" Jiang Yin's lip line tightened, his smile hideous, "I will make sure that doesn't happen."
Even though he denied it, Jiang Ling'er could still see the pain and struggle in his unwilling eyes.
It was a lie to say he didn't love her...
She wrinkled her brows in shock, feeling chilled all over. Just the thought that her brother had fallen for Gu Ying made her heart ache painfully like being cut by a dull knife.
...
In the carriage.
The carriage was not big, and the two sat facing each other in silence.
Thinking that they would soon be married, Gu Ying felt uneasy no matter how she thought about it. Coupled with just now subtly using him to provoke Jiang Yin, she was extremely apprehensive at this moment. She avoided his gaze, lifting a corner of the carriage curtain to look outside.
Zhao Changdu's voice was clear and melodious, "It's still early, I'll take you somewhere."
Gu Ying blinked, "Where to?"
Zhao Changdu's lips curled up slightly, "You'll know when you get there."
Gu Ying rarely interacted so intimately with men. Other than Jiang Yin in her past life, Zhao Changdu was the first.
She did not know what feelings she had for him, but he was ten times better than Jiang Yin.
The carriage bumped along on the street. The blue stone road was covered by a layer of snow. Officials outside were shouting loudly as they shoveled snow, mixed with the enthusiastic calls of the merchants. It was full of commoner liveliness.
Gu Ying leaned back drowsily in the carriage, falling asleep again. When she woke up, she heard a gentle voice calling her name, "Gu Ying, wake up."
Gu Ying let out a soft moan as she opened her sleepy eyes to see a handsome face zoomed in before her.
