It wasn't long before the golden crow set in the west, and the last ray of twilight fell on the roof ridges.
Qing Bi knocked on the door outside, and said in a low voice, "Princess, Yin Lan sister has come back, saying there's something important to report."
Gu Ying's heart skipped a beat. She let her in.
The door opened, Yin Lan came in and glanced at Gu Shuang first, then whispered in her mistress' ear, "Mistress, Young Master Fu has been found."
Gu Ying's eyes narrowed slightly and she gently waved her hand, "I see."
Yin Lan took a step back and stood in the room.
Gu Ying turned to Gu Shuang and said, "Little Sister, he has been found. Do you want to come with me?"
Gu Shuang's small face stiffened, and her heart ached for a moment. She sat still on the edge of the bed without moving.
When he couldn't be found, she wanted to see him. Now that he was found, she didn't dare to see him again, and inexplicable apprehension rose in her heart.
Gu Ying held her cold little hand solemnly and said heavily, "Don't be afraid."
Feeling the strength from her hand, Gu Shuang knew her second sister was thinking in her best interest. How could she drag her back?
Even if she would be laughed at by all the people in Bianjing when she walked out the door today, she had to ask him clearly.
Seeing that she was hesitant, Gu Ying called Qing Bi in, along with Yin Lan, to dress Gu Shuang's hair and help her dress up, while covering up the dark circles under her eyes.
She sat motionless in front of the bronze mirror until they went out and got into the carriage. She was exceptionally quiet all the way.
The two passed through streets and alleys. The carriage finally stopped at the entrance of Chunyang Alley.
The alley here was narrow and the carriage could not get in. After walking about 200 steps inside, there was a crooked neck tree. Gu Ying had to take Gu Shuang out of the carriage and walk.
From afar, Yanzhi rushed over and said to Gu Ying, "Mistress, I have already cleared the people nearby. Young Master Fu is in Shang Jiao's yard. I have been standing guard here and haven't seen him leave."
Although Gu Ying had told her about Fu Xunzhi's whereabouts all the way, Gu Shuang's face still turned pale.
She had prepared herself before coming here.
But when she really stood in front of the yard and saw the man she had been thinking about day and night laughing and chatting with a girl in that shabby little yard and feeding rabbits, she still couldn't help trembling all over ...Her heart felt as if it was being sliced, and the pain made her unable to breathe.
Gu Ying understood how heartbroken she must have been, but still had to face it no matter how hard it was.
She pulled Gu Shuang and pushed her to the front of the yard. She kicked open the rickety bamboo fence gate and said solemnly, "Fu Xunzhi, come out!"
Fu Xunzhi was squatting in front of the rabbit hutch, with his back facing out.
At first he didn't see the scene outside. Shang Jiao was different. She was facing the outside diagonally and had already seen the crowd of richly dressed people from the Bo Mansion early on.
But she pretended to have just seen it and jumped up in shock and shouted, "Who are you? Why did you come to my house?"
Gu Ying sneered and hooked her lips, "Miss Shang doesn't recognize me? If I remember correctly, I even sent someone to specially give you silver money after the Lantern Festival."
Shang Jiao couldn't hold her expression. She clasped her hands in front of her and said, "I...I don't remember."
"What a poor memory," Gu Ying sneered. "Does Young Master Fu still remember that he has a fiancée?"
Gu Ying's icy voice and Shang Jiao's panicked voice startled Fu Xunzhi.
He stiffly turned around, and when he looked up, he saw the pale face of Gu Shuang.
Panic, fright and fear instantly appeared on that honest face.
He rubbed his big hands awkwardly and spoke awkwardly, "Shuang...Shuang'er...why are you here?"
Gu Shuang's small face turned ghastly white. She mustered up her courage, walked out from behind Gu Ying, and slowly walked up to Fu Xunzhi.
She looked at him blankly and said weakly, "I have been looking for you."
Fu Xunzhi's face was full of shame and his eyes kept dodging, but in the end, thinking of something, he steadied his mind again and forced himself to make eye contact with Gu Shuang, "I'm sorry to have worried you..."
Worried?
She laughed at herself inwardly.
She was worried that he was being coerced, imprisoned and threatened by his family because of their marriage.
Worried that he would fall out with his family over their wedding, worried that he would be sad and hurt.
But in the end, he was leisurely feeding a little rabbit with another girl in her yard, facing each other.
Gu Shuang didn't speak, just standing there for a while. She didn't feel it on her way here, but at this moment, the cool summer evening breeze blew by, brushing past her sore eyes, like a knife.
The bitterness rising in her throat made her unconsciously tighten her palms. "Brother Xun..."
As soon as this name came out of her mouth, she felt it was not quite suitable for the current situation, so she changed her words, "Master Fu, can we go inside and talk for a few words?"
Fu Xunzhi nodded foolishly, "Okay..."
Gu Shuang closed her eyes, forcing back the tears in them, and gently said to Shang Jiao who was standing by, "Miss Shang, may I borrow your place?"
Shang Jiao had originally thought that Gu Shuang would at least throw a big tantrum when she arrived.
She didn't expect that even at this time, she could still be so gentle to her.
She felt a little ashamed in her heart, and pointed to her own front hall, "The door is unlocked...please come in."
So Gu Shuang and Fu Xunzhi went into the house one after the other.
Inside the house, faint light came in through the not-so-big window, and the tables, chairs, benches and boards inside could be vaguely seen.
A small bamboo couch was set up near the south window with a thin quilt stacked on it.
On the pillow was the green cloak Fu Xunzhi had worn that night.
Looking at the cloak, Gu Shuang's eyes turned slightly sour.
The light here was extremely dim, making people feel particularly depressed.
But she thought it was pretty good, at least it could prevent her embarrassment from being seen by others, and would not let the people following her laugh at her.
Her eyes welled up with heat and her throat was bitterly sour.
After a long time, she pressed down the sourness in her heart, took a deep breath, turned around and said to the man, "Do you know that the day before yesterday was the day for our worshipping ceremony?"
Hearing the tearful voice of the girl, Fu Xunzhi nodded dryly and didn't lie, "I know."
Gu Shuang asked again, "Why didn't you come to marry me?"
Fu Xunzhi hesitated and didn't speak.
In the darkness, Gu Shuang couldn't see the man's expression. She just felt the atmosphere was a little awkward. She lowered her eyes and saw the green bamboo purse hanging from the man's waist.
It was the one she had given him when she went to Concubine Wan's Palace banquet, pouring all her feelings for him into it.
At that time, she was looking forward wholeheartedly to their marriage and yearning for the future that belonged to them. But she didn't expect that overnight, they would become like strangers to each other, or after today, they wouldn't even count as strangers anymore.
The pain and suffering in Gu Shuang's heart was beyond words. She stood upright in front of Fu Xunzhi with her hands in front of her body slightly trembling.
"I know, you despise me for being dirty."
It wasn't long before the golden crow set in the west, and the last ray of twilight fell on the roof ridges.
Qing Bi knocked on the door outside, and said in a low voice, "Princess, Yin Lan sister has come back, saying there's something important to report."
Gu Ying's heart skipped a beat. She let her in.
The door opened, Yin Lan came in and glanced at Gu Shuang first, then whispered in her mistress' ear, "Mistress, Young Master Fu has been found."
Gu Ying's eyes narrowed slightly and she gently waved her hand, "I see."
Yin Lan took a step back and stood in the room.
Gu Ying turned to Gu Shuang and said, "Little Sister, he has been found. Do you want to come with me?"
Gu Shuang's small face stiffened, and her heart ached for a moment. She sat still on the edge of the bed without moving.
When he couldn't be found, she wanted to see him. Now that he was found, she didn't dare to see him again, and inexplicable apprehension rose in her heart.
Gu Ying held her cold little hand solemnly and said heavily, "Don't be afraid."
Feeling the strength from her hand, Gu Shuang knew her second sister was thinking in her best interest. How could she drag her back?
Even if she would be laughed at by all the people in Bianjing when she walked out the door today, she had to ask him clearly.
Seeing that she was hesitant, Gu Ying called Qing Bi in, along with Yin Lan, to dress Gu Shuang's hair and help her dress up, while covering up the dark circles under her eyes.
She sat motionless in front of the bronze mirror until they went out and got into the carriage. She was exceptionally quiet all the way.
The two passed through streets and alleys. The carriage finally stopped at the entrance of Chunyang Alley.
The alley here was narrow and the carriage could not get in. After walking about 200 steps inside, there was a crooked neck tree. Gu Ying had to take Gu Shuang out of the carriage and walk.
From afar, Yanzhi rushed over and said to Gu Ying, "Mistress, I have already cleared the people nearby. Young Master Fu is in Shang Jiao's yard. I have been standing guard here and haven't seen him leave."
Although Gu Ying had told her about Fu Xunzhi's whereabouts all the way, Gu Shuang's face still turned pale.
She had prepared herself before coming here.
But when she really stood in front of the yard and saw the man she had been thinking about day and night laughing and chatting with a girl in that shabby little yard and feeding rabbits, she still couldn't help trembling all over ...Her heart felt as if it was being sliced, and the pain made her unable to breathe.
Gu Ying understood how heartbroken she must have been, but still had to face it no matter how hard it was.
She pulled Gu Shuang and pushed her to the front of the yard. She kicked open the rickety bamboo fence gate and said solemnly, "Fu Xunzhi, come out!"
Fu Xunzhi was squatting in front of the rabbit hutch, with his back facing out.
At first he didn't see the scene outside. Shang Jiao was different. She was facing the outside diagonally and had already seen the crowd of richly dressed people from the Bo Mansion early on.
But she pretended to have just seen it and jumped up in shock and shouted, "Who are you? Why did you come to my house?"
Gu Ying sneered and hooked her lips, "Miss Shang doesn't recognize me? If I remember correctly, I even sent someone to specially give you silver money after the Lantern Festival."
Shang Jiao couldn't hold her expression. She clasped her hands in front of her and said, "I...I don't remember."
"What a poor memory," Gu Ying sneered. "Does Young Master Fu still remember that he has a fiancée?"
Gu Ying's icy voice and Shang Jiao's panicked voice startled Fu Xunzhi.
He stiffly turned around, and when he looked up, he saw the pale face of Gu Shuang.
Panic, fright and fear instantly appeared on that honest face.
He rubbed his big hands awkwardly and spoke awkwardly, "Shuang...Shuang'er...why are you here?"
Gu Shuang's small face turned ghastly white. She mustered up her courage, walked out from behind Gu Ying, and slowly walked up to Fu Xunzhi.
She looked at him blankly and said weakly, "I have been looking for you."
Fu Xunzhi's face was full of shame and his eyes kept dodging, but in the end, thinking of something, he steadied his mind again and forced himself to make eye contact with Gu Shuang, "I'm sorry to have worried you..."
Worried?
She laughed at herself inwardly.
She was worried that he was being coerced, imprisoned and threatened by his family because of their marriage.
Worried that he would fall out with his family over their wedding, worried that he would be sad and hurt.
But in the end, he was leisurely feeding a little rabbit with another girl in her yard, facing each other.
Gu Shuang didn't speak, just standing there for a while. She didn't feel it on her way here, but at this moment, the cool summer evening breeze blew by, brushing past her sore eyes, like a knife.
The bitterness rising in her throat made her unconsciously tighten her palms. "Brother Xun..."
As soon as this name came out of her mouth, she felt it was not quite suitable for the current situation, so she changed her words, "Master Fu, can we go inside and talk for a few words?"
Fu Xunzhi nodded foolishly, "Okay..."
Gu Shuang closed her eyes, forcing back the tears in them, and gently said to Shang Jiao who was standing by, "Miss Shang, may I borrow your place?"
Shang Jiao had originally thought that Gu Shuang would at least throw a big tantrum when she arrived.
She didn't expect that even at this time, she could still be so gentle to her.
She felt a little ashamed in her heart, and pointed to her own front hall, "The door is unlocked...please come in."
So Gu Shuang and Fu Xunzhi went into the house one after the other.
Inside the house, faint light came in through the not-so-big window, and the tables, chairs, benches and boards inside could be vaguely seen.
A small bamboo couch was set up near the south window with a thin quilt stacked on it.
On the pillow was the green cloak Fu Xunzhi had worn that night.
Looking at the cloak, Gu Shuang's eyes turned slightly sour.
The light here was extremely dim, making people feel particularly depressed.
But she thought it was pretty good, at least it could prevent her embarrassment from being seen by others, and would not let the people following her laugh at her.
Her eyes welled up with heat and her throat was bitterly sour.
After a long time, she pressed down the sourness in her heart, took a deep breath, turned around and said to the man, "Do you know that the day before yesterday was the day for our worshipping ceremony?"
Hearing the tearful voice of the girl, Fu Xunzhi nodded dryly and didn't lie, "I know."
Gu Shuang asked again, "Why didn't you come to marry me?"
Fu Xunzhi hesitated and didn't speak.
In the darkness, Gu Shuang couldn't see the man's expression. She just felt the atmosphere was a little awkward. She lowered her eyes and saw the green bamboo purse hanging from the man's waist.
It was the one she had given him when she went to Concubine Wan's Palace banquet, pouring all her feelings for him into it.
At that time, she was looking forward wholeheartedly to their marriage and yearning for the future that belonged to them. But she didn't expect that overnight, they would become like strangers to each other, or after today, they wouldn't even count as strangers anymore.
The pain and suffering in Gu Shuang's heart was beyond words. She stood upright in front of Fu Xunzhi with her hands in front of her body slightly trembling.
"I know, you despise me for being dirty."
