After returning from the Fu family, when Gu Shuang saw Ye Qingchi, she fled in panic and hid in the Reed Catkin Courtyard, refusing to leave.
Qin was overjoyed and discussed the marriage between the two children with Zhao.
However, Zhao hesitated and said, "Mrs. Ye, I feel something is not right about this..."
Qin did not understand and asked, "What is not right? Do you still remember the bet we made back then? You wanted to bet my bracelet and I said it was for my future daughter-in-law. At that time, you asked me to find a husband for Shuang'er. I thought it would be good if Shuang'er married into my family. If it wasn't for Fu Xunzhi, I might have gone to your house to propose the marriage."
"But..." Zhao said, "After the Fu Xunzhi incident, I realized I should not make any demands about who Shuang'er marries in the future. As long as he wholeheartedly loves and cherishes her without looking down on her, that is enough. Young Master Ye spoke righteously at the Fu family today to help Shuang'er and I'm very grateful. But he may not have done so because he likes Shuang'er..."
She did not want her daughter to experience being looked down upon by her in-laws again.
Qin was a good person and Young Master Ye had an outstanding appearance and righteous character, like a fairy tale prince. But marital issues could not be easily resolved just by who was good or bad.
Shuang'er already had low self-esteem because of her poor background. If she married Young Master Ye, it would be too big a gap between them and would not bode well.
Qin understood Zhao's considerations and smiled, "Why don't you let me take charge of this? My Achi's personality is like his father's. The Ye family men are all eternal lovers who only take one wife and no concubines. Rest assured, he will treat Shuang'er well after marrying her."
Zhao knew the Ye family all too well, which was why she never dreamed of them before.
Even when she previously asked Qin to find a family for Shuang'er, she only hoped to find someone of equal status to Dongping Earl Manor, never imagining that her Shuang'er would one day marry into the Ye family.
She thought it over again and again but still felt uneasy. "Does the Young Master like my Shuang'er?"
"Well..." Qin was also uncertain. "It looks to me like he does. What do you think?"
Zhao blinked. "I don't think he likes her..."
Qin said, "You must have seen wrong."
Zhao lovingly thought of her daughter, "Why would I lie to you? It doesn't feel right... Give us some time to think it over."
Qin chattered on, "What is there to think about? You know Achi has never taken initiative to marry anyone all these years. It's rare there is Shuang'er. Why be coy at this time? I want to hold my grandchild. I want to hold my grandchild this year!"
"It's...it can't be that fast. And I'm worried the Young Master pities Shuang'er."
"Feelings between husband and wife can be nurtured. Don't worry, once they marry and have a child, it will be fine."
The conversation between the two elders drifted faintly. Ye Qingchi stood in the yard, lost in thought as he stared at the tightly shut door.
Gu Ying stretched out her finger and poked his elbow, looking at him amusedly. "Fourth Sister is probably not in the mood to see Cousin now. Why don't I walk you out, Cousin?"
Ye Qingchi always handled matters appropriately. Things were happening too abruptly and Gu Shuang should be given some time to accept this.
He did not demand that she accept him immediately.
So he nodded slightly and gave a faint smile. "Alright, thanks Aying."
Gu Ying's eyes curved into crescents. "We are all family, why be so polite?"
Ye Qingchi stroked the little girl's hair and glanced at her increasingly protruding belly. The corners of his lips quirked up as he asked caringly, "Still feeling uncomfortable recently?"
Gu Ying smiled. "I don't feel uncomfortable anymore. Now I can feel the little one moving around in my belly, a child with my and the Heir Apparent's blood growing inside me, accompanying me day and night, connected by our bloodlines. It's a strange feeling."
Ye Qingchi's thoughts churned. If Gu Shuang could also be pregnant with his child...what would she look like?
Seeing him stop in his tracks and fall silent, Gu Ying called him again.
Ye Qingchi returned to his senses, knowing she had something to tell him, and walked out with her.
Walking down the corridor and through the flower gate, they stepped onto the small cobblestone path. Gu Ying casually asked, "Cousin, were you speaking the truth or lying when you said at the Fu family that you wished to marry Fourth Sister?"
Ye Qingchi leisurely replied, "Naturally, it was the truth."
Gu Ying raised her eyebrows, looking at the serious and solemn expression on the man's face. "I know Cousin wouldn't casually marry someone. If this person can truly become my sister-in-law, she must have entered Cousin's heart first. So when did it start?"
Ye Qingchi took steady steps, lowered his long lashes, and thought back.
The first time he saw Gu Shuang was at Blackwater Pond during the winter hunt. She and Fu Xunzhi had fallen into the pond looking for Ying and he pulled them out of the murky water.
When he hauled her out, the panicked and terrified girl who couldn't swim clasped his neck tightly.
Her whole body clung onto him like a little cat unsheathing its claws.
His first thought then was that the girl was too light, and only afterwards did he notice how dirty she was.
He hated dirtiness, yet Gu Shuang clung onto him for a full fifteen breaths before finally calming down enough to let go crying after reaching the ground again.
The shining teardrops hung on her damp, dark lashes. In the dim night, they glittered brightly, especially pitiful.
He later realized strangely that he had not minded her dirtiness at all. This puzzled him for a long time afterwards.
Later at Duke Gu's manor, she accidentally bumped into him but he again did not feel uncomfortable.
He then harbored the intention to capture her by his side, but unfortunately she was engaged to Fu Xunzhi. He disdained fighting over a woman and thus dismissed the matter.
Afterwards, he paid more attention to her and discovered Fu Xunzhi was privately meeting Shang Jiao while also being weak-willed. Fu Xunzhi was completely unworthy of Gu Shuang's trust. Thus Ye Qingchi's desire to seize her heart grew increasingly strong.
Pulling back from his recollections, Ye Qingchi let out a soft laugh. "I think I already liked her since the first time I saw her. I just didn't know it was fondness then. I only felt it was a little strange to find her cute when her face was covered thickly in black mud."
Gu Ying looked at him in astonishment.
Her cousin who did not associate with women and had mysophobia rarely coming into close contact with outsiders actually did not dislike Gu Shuang.
Ye Qingchi's lips moved slightly as he gave a helpless quirk. "Don't look at me like that, Aying."
After some thought, Gu Ying said, "So it was Cousin's body that chose Fourth Sister."
Ye Qingchi's gaze was profound. "It's not unreasonable to put it that way."
If one could not even accept another's touch, how could they become husband and wife?
His and Gu Shuang's affinity was hidden in their bloodlines.
After returning from the Fu family, when Gu Shuang saw Ye Qingchi, she fled in panic and hid in the Reed Catkin Courtyard, refusing to leave.
Qin was overjoyed and discussed the marriage between the two children with Zhao.
However, Zhao hesitated and said, "Mrs. Ye, I feel something is not right about this..."
Qin did not understand and asked, "What is not right? Do you still remember the bet we made back then? You wanted to bet my bracelet and I said it was for my future daughter-in-law. At that time, you asked me to find a husband for Shuang'er. I thought it would be good if Shuang'er married into my family. If it wasn't for Fu Xunzhi, I might have gone to your house to propose the marriage."
"But..." Zhao said, "After the Fu Xunzhi incident, I realized I should not make any demands about who Shuang'er marries in the future. As long as he wholeheartedly loves and cherishes her without looking down on her, that is enough. Young Master Ye spoke righteously at the Fu family today to help Shuang'er and I'm very grateful. But he may not have done so because he likes Shuang'er..."
She did not want her daughter to experience being looked down upon by her in-laws again.
Qin was a good person and Young Master Ye had an outstanding appearance and righteous character, like a fairy tale prince. But marital issues could not be easily resolved just by who was good or bad.
Shuang'er already had low self-esteem because of her poor background. If she married Young Master Ye, it would be too big a gap between them and would not bode well.
Qin understood Zhao's considerations and smiled, "Why don't you let me take charge of this? My Achi's personality is like his father's. The Ye family men are all eternal lovers who only take one wife and no concubines. Rest assured, he will treat Shuang'er well after marrying her."
Zhao knew the Ye family all too well, which was why she never dreamed of them before.
Even when she previously asked Qin to find a family for Shuang'er, she only hoped to find someone of equal status to Dongping Earl Manor, never imagining that her Shuang'er would one day marry into the Ye family.
She thought it over again and again but still felt uneasy. "Does the Young Master like my Shuang'er?"
"Well..." Qin was also uncertain. "It looks to me like he does. What do you think?"
Zhao blinked. "I don't think he likes her..."
Qin said, "You must have seen wrong."
Zhao lovingly thought of her daughter, "Why would I lie to you? It doesn't feel right... Give us some time to think it over."
Qin chattered on, "What is there to think about? You know Achi has never taken initiative to marry anyone all these years. It's rare there is Shuang'er. Why be coy at this time? I want to hold my grandchild. I want to hold my grandchild this year!"
"It's...it can't be that fast. And I'm worried the Young Master pities Shuang'er."
"Feelings between husband and wife can be nurtured. Don't worry, once they marry and have a child, it will be fine."
The conversation between the two elders drifted faintly. Ye Qingchi stood in the yard, lost in thought as he stared at the tightly shut door.
Gu Ying stretched out her finger and poked his elbow, looking at him amusedly. "Fourth Sister is probably not in the mood to see Cousin now. Why don't I walk you out, Cousin?"
Ye Qingchi always handled matters appropriately. Things were happening too abruptly and Gu Shuang should be given some time to accept this.
He did not demand that she accept him immediately.
So he nodded slightly and gave a faint smile. "Alright, thanks Aying."
Gu Ying's eyes curved into crescents. "We are all family, why be so polite?"
Ye Qingchi stroked the little girl's hair and glanced at her increasingly protruding belly. The corners of his lips quirked up as he asked caringly, "Still feeling uncomfortable recently?"
Gu Ying smiled. "I don't feel uncomfortable anymore. Now I can feel the little one moving around in my belly, a child with my and the Heir Apparent's blood growing inside me, accompanying me day and night, connected by our bloodlines. It's a strange feeling."
Ye Qingchi's thoughts churned. If Gu Shuang could also be pregnant with his child...what would she look like?
Seeing him stop in his tracks and fall silent, Gu Ying called him again.
Ye Qingchi returned to his senses, knowing she had something to tell him, and walked out with her.
Walking down the corridor and through the flower gate, they stepped onto the small cobblestone path. Gu Ying casually asked, "Cousin, were you speaking the truth or lying when you said at the Fu family that you wished to marry Fourth Sister?"
Ye Qingchi leisurely replied, "Naturally, it was the truth."
Gu Ying raised her eyebrows, looking at the serious and solemn expression on the man's face. "I know Cousin wouldn't casually marry someone. If this person can truly become my sister-in-law, she must have entered Cousin's heart first. So when did it start?"
Ye Qingchi took steady steps, lowered his long lashes, and thought back.
The first time he saw Gu Shuang was at Blackwater Pond during the winter hunt. She and Fu Xunzhi had fallen into the pond looking for Ying and he pulled them out of the murky water.
When he hauled her out, the panicked and terrified girl who couldn't swim clasped his neck tightly.
Her whole body clung onto him like a little cat unsheathing its claws.
His first thought then was that the girl was too light, and only afterwards did he notice how dirty she was.
He hated dirtiness, yet Gu Shuang clung onto him for a full fifteen breaths before finally calming down enough to let go crying after reaching the ground again.
The shining teardrops hung on her damp, dark lashes. In the dim night, they glittered brightly, especially pitiful.
He later realized strangely that he had not minded her dirtiness at all. This puzzled him for a long time afterwards.
Later at Duke Gu's manor, she accidentally bumped into him but he again did not feel uncomfortable.
He then harbored the intention to capture her by his side, but unfortunately she was engaged to Fu Xunzhi. He disdained fighting over a woman and thus dismissed the matter.
Afterwards, he paid more attention to her and discovered Fu Xunzhi was privately meeting Shang Jiao while also being weak-willed. Fu Xunzhi was completely unworthy of Gu Shuang's trust. Thus Ye Qingchi's desire to seize her heart grew increasingly strong.
Pulling back from his recollections, Ye Qingchi let out a soft laugh. "I think I already liked her since the first time I saw her. I just didn't know it was fondness then. I only felt it was a little strange to find her cute when her face was covered thickly in black mud."
Gu Ying looked at him in astonishment.
Her cousin who did not associate with women and had mysophobia rarely coming into close contact with outsiders actually did not dislike Gu Shuang.
Ye Qingchi's lips moved slightly as he gave a helpless quirk. "Don't look at me like that, Aying."
After some thought, Gu Ying said, "So it was Cousin's body that chose Fourth Sister."
Ye Qingchi's gaze was profound. "It's not unreasonable to put it that way."
If one could not even accept another's touch, how could they become husband and wife?
His and Gu Shuang's affinity was hidden in their bloodlines.
