This sentence completely silenced Madam Fu.
She was so angry that her old eyes went dark, and she almost fainted.
Fu Xunzhi hurriedly held his grandmother's hand and turned his face. He originally wanted to glare at Gu Ying, but was frightened by Gu Ying's momentum. He weakly said, "Princess, it was Fourth Young Lady who was first unchaste. I...I was the one who called off the wedding. The Fu family did no wrong... What's more, you were also at Luoxia Mountain that night... I saw with my own eyes her naked body lying under Mu Nanfeng..."
Gu Ying slapped Fu Xunzhi, interrupting his words. "What nonsense are you talking about! It looks to me like you've gone blind!"
There were more than ten servants in the hall. How much must Fu Xunzhi hate Gu Shuang to say such things in front of so many people!
She had originally thought he was clever, at least sensible enough to cover up what happened that night to protect Shuang'er. But now she realized she was wrong!
This Fu Xunzhi was extremely foolish!
Gu Shuang's small face turned pale. She abruptly stood up from her seat, her whole body trembling as tears welled up in her eyes. "I did not..."
"Whether I saw wrong or not, don't I know it myself!" Fu Xunzhi's expression changed from weak to indignant as he raised his voice.
Gu Shuang only felt as if a big hand was viciously squeezing her heart. Her eyes brimmed with hot tears. "I..."
But her defense was so pale and powerless under the crowd's astonished and contemptuous gazes.
With Fu Xunzhi claiming he had seen it with his own eyes, no one would believe she was innocent.
Gu Shuang swayed on her feet, grief overwhelming her as her heart completely shattered. And she was not good at arguing. Under Fu Xunzhi's aggressive interrogation, she was at a loss for words.
Now that Fu Xunzhi had uttered those words, there was nothing left to fear.
These past days, he had painfully harbored this secret in his heart. After hearing that the Ye family had come forward to cover up for Gu Shuang, he had long been irritated to the point of distress. So when Shang Jiao found him, he unhesitatingly went to stay at her place.
That night, he had peeked through the crack in the door and saw Shang Jiao bathing in a barrel.
His heart, dormant for many years, beat rapidly.
He thought that Gu Shuang was no longer good enough for him. She was not pure, so why should he remain chaste for her sake?
He wanted to try if he could be moved by someone else.
But as he stared at Shang Jiao's body, the face in his mind was Gu Shuang's.
In that moment, he finally understood...he could not bear to part with Gu Shuang. He liked this well-behaved, sensible, gentle and tactful young lady.
"Have I done anything wrong? As a scion of the righteous Fu clan, how could I marry a woman like her and let myself be ridiculed for the rest of my life?" He asked innocently with tears streaming down his face.
Hearing this, Gu Shuang felt her whole body turn cold, looking at him in disbelief.
Fu Xunzhi turned his face away and fiercely wiped away a handful of tears. "I've done nothing wrong!"
Madam Fu also understood why her grandson had changed into a different person after returning from Luoxia Mountain. So this was the reason.
She immediately drew herself up and said, "Since this is the case, Fourth Young Lady is no longer a maiden, so there is no need to bring up Young Master Fu and Shang Jiao's affair. Our two families will act as if nothing ever happened. The wedding between Young Master Fu and Fourth Young Lady will carry on as planned. We will just pick another auspicious date and hold the ceremony. As for Shang Jiao, we can also find an opportunity to bring her into the manor at some point. Given her status, making her Young Master Fu's concubine is possible. I wonder if everyone finds this arrangement satisfactory?"
The old lady's condescending attitude was as if Gu Shuang had committed some unforgivable sin.
Gu Shuang gave a self-deprecating laugh and shook her head.
Madam Zhao and Madam Qin naturally did not agree either.
Gu Ying laughed coldly. "Madam, don't tell me you really think your grandson is some treasure."
Madam Fu complacently said, "Xunzhi is a learned talent from a prestigious family. Marrying him is already a great blessing for Fourth Young Lady. Now that she is defiled, it is already extremely merciful of my grandson to still be willing to marry her. If not, you can annul this engagement today and see who else in the entire Bianjing City would be willing to marry a girl who is no longer pure."
Gu Ying was rendered speechless for a long time by the Fu family's shamelessness.
Seeing everyone remain silent, Fu Xunzhi dabbed his red eyes and supported his grandmother. He said to Gu Ying, "I shouldn't have uttered those words just now. I'm sorry..."
Gu Ying sneered. "What use is it for Young Master Fu to apologize now?"
Fu Xunzhi's face turned red then white again. He gritted his teeth. "I promise all of you that I will marry Shuang'er...but I won't touch her. I'm marrying her only because I worry she will be in dire straits with no one willing to marry her after our broken engagement-"
"Who said no one would be willing to marry her?"
A clear and piercing male voice cut in like a boulder causing waves in a pond, abruptly sounding in the hall.
Fu Xunzhi's body shuddered as he swiftly turned to the source of the voice.
Gu Ying's eyebrows quirked up slightly, somewhat surprised.
In the tense, confrontational atmosphere of the Fu manor's hall, Ye Qingchi slowly stood up and looked towards everyone. In a mild tone, he tersely said to Madam Zhao, "Return the betrothal gifts. I will marry her."
Madam Zhao and Madam Qin were both stunned, not having reacted at all.
Madam Fu's face also darkened.
Gu Shuang had already sunk into the calmness that emerged from despair, but at this moment she still widened her eyes in astonishment.
Wha...what?
Ye Qingchi was willing to marry her?
She must have misheard. It must be an auditory hallucination.
But the man walked from ten steps away to her side, stretching out his big hand to grasp her small hand. Scorching warmth transmitted from his palm, frightening her heart to thump wildly.
She knew he had mysophobia!
The only thought in her mind was this sentence. She was afraid and wanted to struggle free from his palm, but the man's strength was too great. After moving twice, she was gripped tightly by him.
She looked up at his handsome face, her heart racing irregularly in chaos and her mind a complete mess.
Ye Qingchi had an overbearing aura with an inscrutable faint smile at the corner of his lips. He turned to the petite maiden beside him. "What's more, whether she is innocent or not, I know better than you."
Gu Shuang nervously swallowed and curled her fingers slightly.
Ye Qingchi did not allow her to evade him, gently caressing the back of her hand to signal her to speak up boldly.
Gu Shuang timidly glanced at the man's noble, gentle and refined expression.
Ye Qingchi had sharp brows and bright eyes, pleasure evident in the corners of his eyes and the edges of his brows. "Fourth Young Lady, what do you say?"
"I..." Gu Shuang raised her head. The man's smile seemed to light a fire in her heart. She was still timid, but there was a glimmer of light rekindled in her eyes. "I am innocent. Young Master Fu saw wrongly that day. I was not abducted by any bandits. I went to Ye Family Manor with Second Sister. We were at the manor playing with Foster Mother and Big Brother Ye all night. Everyone in the Ye household and Zhenguo Duke Manor can testify."
After saying all this, Gu Shuang heaved in relief, a faint smile appearing at the corners of her lips.
With the backing of Zhenguo Duke Manor and the Ye family, Fu Xunzhi faltered...His whole body went limp as he slumped down to the floor in despair.
He knew his relationship with Shuang'er was utterly hopeless now.
This sentence completely silenced Madam Fu.
She was so angry that her old eyes went dark, and she almost fainted.
Fu Xunzhi hurriedly held his grandmother's hand and turned his face. He originally wanted to glare at Gu Ying, but was frightened by Gu Ying's momentum. He weakly said, "Princess, it was Fourth Young Lady who was first unchaste. I...I was the one who called off the wedding. The Fu family did no wrong... What's more, you were also at Luoxia Mountain that night... I saw with my own eyes her naked body lying under Mu Nanfeng..."
Gu Ying slapped Fu Xunzhi, interrupting his words. "What nonsense are you talking about! It looks to me like you've gone blind!"
There were more than ten servants in the hall. How much must Fu Xunzhi hate Gu Shuang to say such things in front of so many people!
She had originally thought he was clever, at least sensible enough to cover up what happened that night to protect Shuang'er. But now she realized she was wrong!
This Fu Xunzhi was extremely foolish!
Gu Shuang's small face turned pale. She abruptly stood up from her seat, her whole body trembling as tears welled up in her eyes. "I did not..."
"Whether I saw wrong or not, don't I know it myself!" Fu Xunzhi's expression changed from weak to indignant as he raised his voice.
Gu Shuang only felt as if a big hand was viciously squeezing her heart. Her eyes brimmed with hot tears. "I..."
But her defense was so pale and powerless under the crowd's astonished and contemptuous gazes.
With Fu Xunzhi claiming he had seen it with his own eyes, no one would believe she was innocent.
Gu Shuang swayed on her feet, grief overwhelming her as her heart completely shattered. And she was not good at arguing. Under Fu Xunzhi's aggressive interrogation, she was at a loss for words.
Now that Fu Xunzhi had uttered those words, there was nothing left to fear.
These past days, he had painfully harbored this secret in his heart. After hearing that the Ye family had come forward to cover up for Gu Shuang, he had long been irritated to the point of distress. So when Shang Jiao found him, he unhesitatingly went to stay at her place.
That night, he had peeked through the crack in the door and saw Shang Jiao bathing in a barrel.
His heart, dormant for many years, beat rapidly.
He thought that Gu Shuang was no longer good enough for him. She was not pure, so why should he remain chaste for her sake?
He wanted to try if he could be moved by someone else.
But as he stared at Shang Jiao's body, the face in his mind was Gu Shuang's.
In that moment, he finally understood...he could not bear to part with Gu Shuang. He liked this well-behaved, sensible, gentle and tactful young lady.
"Have I done anything wrong? As a scion of the righteous Fu clan, how could I marry a woman like her and let myself be ridiculed for the rest of my life?" He asked innocently with tears streaming down his face.
Hearing this, Gu Shuang felt her whole body turn cold, looking at him in disbelief.
Fu Xunzhi turned his face away and fiercely wiped away a handful of tears. "I've done nothing wrong!"
Madam Fu also understood why her grandson had changed into a different person after returning from Luoxia Mountain. So this was the reason.
She immediately drew herself up and said, "Since this is the case, Fourth Young Lady is no longer a maiden, so there is no need to bring up Young Master Fu and Shang Jiao's affair. Our two families will act as if nothing ever happened. The wedding between Young Master Fu and Fourth Young Lady will carry on as planned. We will just pick another auspicious date and hold the ceremony. As for Shang Jiao, we can also find an opportunity to bring her into the manor at some point. Given her status, making her Young Master Fu's concubine is possible. I wonder if everyone finds this arrangement satisfactory?"
The old lady's condescending attitude was as if Gu Shuang had committed some unforgivable sin.
Gu Shuang gave a self-deprecating laugh and shook her head.
Madam Zhao and Madam Qin naturally did not agree either.
Gu Ying laughed coldly. "Madam, don't tell me you really think your grandson is some treasure."
Madam Fu complacently said, "Xunzhi is a learned talent from a prestigious family. Marrying him is already a great blessing for Fourth Young Lady. Now that she is defiled, it is already extremely merciful of my grandson to still be willing to marry her. If not, you can annul this engagement today and see who else in the entire Bianjing City would be willing to marry a girl who is no longer pure."
Gu Ying was rendered speechless for a long time by the Fu family's shamelessness.
Seeing everyone remain silent, Fu Xunzhi dabbed his red eyes and supported his grandmother. He said to Gu Ying, "I shouldn't have uttered those words just now. I'm sorry..."
Gu Ying sneered. "What use is it for Young Master Fu to apologize now?"
Fu Xunzhi's face turned red then white again. He gritted his teeth. "I promise all of you that I will marry Shuang'er...but I won't touch her. I'm marrying her only because I worry she will be in dire straits with no one willing to marry her after our broken engagement-"
"Who said no one would be willing to marry her?"
A clear and piercing male voice cut in like a boulder causing waves in a pond, abruptly sounding in the hall.
Fu Xunzhi's body shuddered as he swiftly turned to the source of the voice.
Gu Ying's eyebrows quirked up slightly, somewhat surprised.
In the tense, confrontational atmosphere of the Fu manor's hall, Ye Qingchi slowly stood up and looked towards everyone. In a mild tone, he tersely said to Madam Zhao, "Return the betrothal gifts. I will marry her."
Madam Zhao and Madam Qin were both stunned, not having reacted at all.
Madam Fu's face also darkened.
Gu Shuang had already sunk into the calmness that emerged from despair, but at this moment she still widened her eyes in astonishment.
Wha...what?
Ye Qingchi was willing to marry her?
She must have misheard. It must be an auditory hallucination.
But the man walked from ten steps away to her side, stretching out his big hand to grasp her small hand. Scorching warmth transmitted from his palm, frightening her heart to thump wildly.
She knew he had mysophobia!
The only thought in her mind was this sentence. She was afraid and wanted to struggle free from his palm, but the man's strength was too great. After moving twice, she was gripped tightly by him.
She looked up at his handsome face, her heart racing irregularly in chaos and her mind a complete mess.
Ye Qingchi had an overbearing aura with an inscrutable faint smile at the corner of his lips. He turned to the petite maiden beside him. "What's more, whether she is innocent or not, I know better than you."
Gu Shuang nervously swallowed and curled her fingers slightly.
Ye Qingchi did not allow her to evade him, gently caressing the back of her hand to signal her to speak up boldly.
Gu Shuang timidly glanced at the man's noble, gentle and refined expression.
Ye Qingchi had sharp brows and bright eyes, pleasure evident in the corners of his eyes and the edges of his brows. "Fourth Young Lady, what do you say?"
"I..." Gu Shuang raised her head. The man's smile seemed to light a fire in her heart. She was still timid, but there was a glimmer of light rekindled in her eyes. "I am innocent. Young Master Fu saw wrongly that day. I was not abducted by any bandits. I went to Ye Family Manor with Second Sister. We were at the manor playing with Foster Mother and Big Brother Ye all night. Everyone in the Ye household and Zhenguo Duke Manor can testify."
After saying all this, Gu Shuang heaved in relief, a faint smile appearing at the corners of her lips.
With the backing of Zhenguo Duke Manor and the Ye family, Fu Xunzhi faltered...His whole body went limp as he slumped down to the floor in despair.
He knew his relationship with Shuang'er was utterly hopeless now.
