In the Yongshou Hall.
Gu Ying stood there with the precious jewelry behind her and the bow of the Queen of Li in her arms. She smiled innocently and said, "Grandmother, you've seen it too. The young marquis is determined to marry me, so I can't let him down. Please don't bring up your and elder aunt's proposal ever again. If the young marquis finds out, he might make a scene all the way to the Emperor. Then neither family would look good."
The others had ugly expressions on their faces, yet they couldn't act on their anger.
"What's more..." Gu Ying tilted her head slightly, her gaze cunningly meeting Jiang Yin's furious and jealous gaze. She declared loudly, "In this lifetime, even if I become a nun, I will never marry Young Master Jiang."
Jiang Yin gnashed his teeth. "Gu Ying, don't get presumptuous—"
"It's improper for a man and woman to address each other so directly in front of elders." Gu Ying's eyes reddened with indignation as her voice suddenly rose, "Young Master Jiang shouldn't have addressed me by my first name so casually!"
He didn't deserve to call her by name!
Not worthy!
Anyone could, except for him, Jiang Yin!
The people in the hall were startled by her sudden shrill voice.
Gu Ying forcefully suppressed the surging sourness and hatred in her heart and calmed herself. She laughed lightly and said, "Grandmother, Ying is the young marquis's fiancée. Please don't involve Ying with other men in the future."
Jiang Yin's figure flickered in disbelief as he squinted his eyes. He didn't expect Gu Ying to be so unwilling to marry him.
He looked at Gu Ying.
Gu Ying also looked at him coldly.
It was as if boundless years of pain and darkness from the past came surging over.
Ten years of neglect, ten years of humiliation, ten years of trampling.
Jiang Yin's eyes showed only surprise and anger, but Gu Ying's eyes were filled with deep and unfathomable clouds, making her unreadable and mature beyond her years.
"Mother, this—" Liu Shi's face turned pale with anxiety.
But since the young marquis had sent someone personally, what could they do?
Lady Gu glared coldly at Gu Ying. "Send Young Master Jiang out first. We'll discuss this again after the winter hunt."
"Then I'll take my leave first."
Gu Ying's chin lifted slightly as she straightened her spine.
Right in front of Lady Gu and the others, she decisively turned and left without looking at Jiang Yin again.
She carried the seven night pearls and the Li Queen's bow and left the Yongshou Hall by herself.
...
In the Reed Catkin Courtyard.
As night fell, Aunt Zhao became increasingly restless.
"Come, where's the doctor? When we really need these useless girls to get things done, every one of them is useless!"
A maid came in from outside and reported, "He'll be here soon, madam. Please wait a little longer."
Aunt Zhao sat back down on the couch again. The more she thought about it, the more she felt that something had been off with her body recently.
Gu Shuang said, "Mother, don't worry. Second sister doesn't study medicine and can't even recognize big characters. She's just an uneducated young lady. How could she understand all that medical theory? What she said today was just to scare you."
Aunt Zhao calmed down for a bit. "Shuang'er, your mother doesn't think so. Haven't you noticed that ever since the banquet disaster, your second sister is like a different person? I think she's been possessed by some evil spirit, which is why she suddenly knows how to read faces and fortunes."
Gu Shuang was speechless. "There's no such thing in this world."
Aunt Zhao's expression suddenly became solemn. She held Gu Shuang's hand and said softly, "Shuang'er, don't disbelieve. Do you know why the old madam dislikes the second wife? It wasn't just some incompatibility in their eight characters. Back then, your grandmother—"
Before she could finish, a flower pot outside the window suddenly dropped with a loud clank, smashing heavily to the ground.
The outside was shrouded in fog and scattered snowflakes drifted down steadily, giving an eerie atmosphere.
Aunt Zhao was badly startled. She jumped up from the couch and opened the door in panic, "What happened?"
A maid wearing a snow hat hurried over, "It's nothing, Madam. A stray cat accidentally knocked over the flower pot in the corridor."
Aunt Zhao's heart thumped rapidly in her chest. "Shuang'er, your mother keeps feeling uneasy. I feel like something big is going to happen in the Marquis Estate."
Gu Shuang also showed some worry on her face as she firmly grasped her mother's hand.
"The doctor is here!"
Aunt Zhao's trusted maid Qing Bi hurriedly lifted the curtain and came in.
She had already dismissed all the servants and maids in the courtyard for today, leaving only a few loyal ones to serve.
Aunt Zhao quickly sat up straight and ordered the screen and curtains to be prepared.
Soon, the doctor checked her pulse from behind the veil.
He frowned slightly and Aunt Zhao's heart tightened, afraid that she had some incurable illness.
"Doctor, as you can see I've been hale and healthy recently. I didn't feel anything major but this afternoon I suddenly felt some pain in my abdomen—"
"Madam, don't worry." The doctor's brows relaxed as he put away his pulse pillow and smiled. "Congratulations, Madam. You are with child."
"What?" Aunt Zhao stood up in excitement.
"You're already one month pregnant, so your pulse is still a little unstable. Ordinary doctors might not be able to tell, but I specialize in gynecology and will absolutely not be wrong."
After seeing the doctor off, Aunt Zhao was still in a daze.
It was true that she hadn't had her monthly course for a month, but she never imagined that she was already pregnant.
After all, that old witch Liu Shi kept a close eye on the Reed Catkin Courtyard. Whenever she had bedroom affairs with the Marquis, that woman would find ways to make her drink contraceptives.
She had great difficulty conceiving a son last time, so this time she absolutely could not let Liu Shi harm her!
"Mother, how did second sister know that you're pregnant?" Gu Shuang was shocked and suspicious.
Aunt Zhao no longer dared to look down on Gu Ying. "What did I say? There must be some immortal or Taoist possessing our second young lady! Shuang'er, go to the Twilight Studio more and get closer to your second sister. Your mother sees that she is having more and more troubles with the madam. For your little brother to become the Marquis Estate's heir in the future, we two mothers must also make plans for this child in my womb."
Gu Shuang smiled wryly. Just earlier she had called her a demon, and now she was an immortal. Her mother really had no principles.
"Madam! Madam!" Qing Bi had secretly seen the doctor off but now charged in recklessly again.
"What are you panicking for?"
Qing Bi caught her breath and said, "You won't believe this! The old madam secretly sent the top scholar out of the estate, but as soon as he left, he was seen by several gossipy old women! Now, the rumors of the young miss and the scholar's secret tryst have spread all over Lin'an Street!"
Lin'an Street was where many prestigious and powerful noble clans gathered. It could be said that most of the influential aristocrats, nobles and powerful ministers in Bianjing lived in this area.
Aunt Zhao clutched her chest and slumped down. "Oh my! This is like adding fuel to fire! Now everyone knows!"
...
Gu Ying walked slowly in the snow, holding the bow and the seven night pearls.
In the Yongshou Hall.
Gu Ying stood there with the precious jewelry behind her and the bow of the Queen of Li in her arms. She smiled innocently and said, "Grandmother, you've seen it too. The young marquis is determined to marry me, so I can't let him down. Please don't bring up your and elder aunt's proposal ever again. If the young marquis finds out, he might make a scene all the way to the Emperor. Then neither family would look good."
The others had ugly expressions on their faces, yet they couldn't act on their anger.
"What's more..." Gu Ying tilted her head slightly, her gaze cunningly meeting Jiang Yin's furious and jealous gaze. She declared loudly, "In this lifetime, even if I become a nun, I will never marry Young Master Jiang."
Jiang Yin gnashed his teeth. "Gu Ying, don't get presumptuous—"
"It's improper for a man and woman to address each other so directly in front of elders." Gu Ying's eyes reddened with indignation as her voice suddenly rose, "Young Master Jiang shouldn't have addressed me by my first name so casually!"
He didn't deserve to call her by name!
Not worthy!
Anyone could, except for him, Jiang Yin!
The people in the hall were startled by her sudden shrill voice.
Gu Ying forcefully suppressed the surging sourness and hatred in her heart and calmed herself. She laughed lightly and said, "Grandmother, Ying is the young marquis's fiancée. Please don't involve Ying with other men in the future."
Jiang Yin's figure flickered in disbelief as he squinted his eyes. He didn't expect Gu Ying to be so unwilling to marry him.
He looked at Gu Ying.
Gu Ying also looked at him coldly.
It was as if boundless years of pain and darkness from the past came surging over.
Ten years of neglect, ten years of humiliation, ten years of trampling.
Jiang Yin's eyes showed only surprise and anger, but Gu Ying's eyes were filled with deep and unfathomable clouds, making her unreadable and mature beyond her years.
"Mother, this—" Liu Shi's face turned pale with anxiety.
But since the young marquis had sent someone personally, what could they do?
Lady Gu glared coldly at Gu Ying. "Send Young Master Jiang out first. We'll discuss this again after the winter hunt."
"Then I'll take my leave first."
Gu Ying's chin lifted slightly as she straightened her spine.
Right in front of Lady Gu and the others, she decisively turned and left without looking at Jiang Yin again.
She carried the seven night pearls and the Li Queen's bow and left the Yongshou Hall by herself.
...
In the Reed Catkin Courtyard.
As night fell, Aunt Zhao became increasingly restless.
"Come, where's the doctor? When we really need these useless girls to get things done, every one of them is useless!"
A maid came in from outside and reported, "He'll be here soon, madam. Please wait a little longer."
Aunt Zhao sat back down on the couch again. The more she thought about it, the more she felt that something had been off with her body recently.
Gu Shuang said, "Mother, don't worry. Second sister doesn't study medicine and can't even recognize big characters. She's just an uneducated young lady. How could she understand all that medical theory? What she said today was just to scare you."
Aunt Zhao calmed down for a bit. "Shuang'er, your mother doesn't think so. Haven't you noticed that ever since the banquet disaster, your second sister is like a different person? I think she's been possessed by some evil spirit, which is why she suddenly knows how to read faces and fortunes."
Gu Shuang was speechless. "There's no such thing in this world."
Aunt Zhao's expression suddenly became solemn. She held Gu Shuang's hand and said softly, "Shuang'er, don't disbelieve. Do you know why the old madam dislikes the second wife? It wasn't just some incompatibility in their eight characters. Back then, your grandmother—"
Before she could finish, a flower pot outside the window suddenly dropped with a loud clank, smashing heavily to the ground.
The outside was shrouded in fog and scattered snowflakes drifted down steadily, giving an eerie atmosphere.
Aunt Zhao was badly startled. She jumped up from the couch and opened the door in panic, "What happened?"
A maid wearing a snow hat hurried over, "It's nothing, Madam. A stray cat accidentally knocked over the flower pot in the corridor."
Aunt Zhao's heart thumped rapidly in her chest. "Shuang'er, your mother keeps feeling uneasy. I feel like something big is going to happen in the Marquis Estate."
Gu Shuang also showed some worry on her face as she firmly grasped her mother's hand.
"The doctor is here!"
Aunt Zhao's trusted maid Qing Bi hurriedly lifted the curtain and came in.
She had already dismissed all the servants and maids in the courtyard for today, leaving only a few loyal ones to serve.
Aunt Zhao quickly sat up straight and ordered the screen and curtains to be prepared.
Soon, the doctor checked her pulse from behind the veil.
He frowned slightly and Aunt Zhao's heart tightened, afraid that she had some incurable illness.
"Doctor, as you can see I've been hale and healthy recently. I didn't feel anything major but this afternoon I suddenly felt some pain in my abdomen—"
"Madam, don't worry." The doctor's brows relaxed as he put away his pulse pillow and smiled. "Congratulations, Madam. You are with child."
"What?" Aunt Zhao stood up in excitement.
"You're already one month pregnant, so your pulse is still a little unstable. Ordinary doctors might not be able to tell, but I specialize in gynecology and will absolutely not be wrong."
After seeing the doctor off, Aunt Zhao was still in a daze.
It was true that she hadn't had her monthly course for a month, but she never imagined that she was already pregnant.
After all, that old witch Liu Shi kept a close eye on the Reed Catkin Courtyard. Whenever she had bedroom affairs with the Marquis, that woman would find ways to make her drink contraceptives.
She had great difficulty conceiving a son last time, so this time she absolutely could not let Liu Shi harm her!
"Mother, how did second sister know that you're pregnant?" Gu Shuang was shocked and suspicious.
Aunt Zhao no longer dared to look down on Gu Ying. "What did I say? There must be some immortal or Taoist possessing our second young lady! Shuang'er, go to the Twilight Studio more and get closer to your second sister. Your mother sees that she is having more and more troubles with the madam. For your little brother to become the Marquis Estate's heir in the future, we two mothers must also make plans for this child in my womb."
Gu Shuang smiled wryly. Just earlier she had called her a demon, and now she was an immortal. Her mother really had no principles.
"Madam! Madam!" Qing Bi had secretly seen the doctor off but now charged in recklessly again.
"What are you panicking for?"
Qing Bi caught her breath and said, "You won't believe this! The old madam secretly sent the top scholar out of the estate, but as soon as he left, he was seen by several gossipy old women! Now, the rumors of the young miss and the scholar's secret tryst have spread all over Lin'an Street!"
Lin'an Street was where many prestigious and powerful noble clans gathered. It could be said that most of the influential aristocrats, nobles and powerful ministers in Bianjing lived in this area.
Aunt Zhao clutched her chest and slumped down. "Oh my! This is like adding fuel to fire! Now everyone knows!"
...
Gu Ying walked slowly in the snow, holding the bow and the seven night pearls.
