"Have you heard? Lady Ye, since her marriage to Young Master Ye, hasn't consummated the marriage yet."
"Is that true? I always said, how could that relatively unknown Fourth Miss be worthy of the eldest grandson of the Ye family?"
"But on the day of the Ye family's grand wedding, with such a lavish ceremony, could it really be just to marry a woman he won't even touch?"
"Maybe there's something wrong with Fourth Miss's body."
"Exactly."
Gu Shuang stepped out of the carriage and just as she entered the Satin Shop, she could hear the murmurs inside, causing her face to flush red.
"Lady, don't mind them. What do they understand? Our young master dotes on you so much. It's probably just envy and jealousy driving them to slander you like this," her maid Qingbi said, casting a disdainful glance at the gossiping noblewomen before guiding Gu Shuang into the shop.
Gu Shuang, always one to avoid confrontation, didn't pay too much attention to these words. After all, she knew in her heart whether her husband cared for her or not.
It's just that she didn't expect to encounter Fu Xunzhi and Shang Jiao in the shop.
Seeing the two of them together, selecting red satin, presumably for wedding attire, Gu Shuang instinctively wanted to leave, not for any other reason than she had severed ties with Fu Xunzhi long ago, with no lingering affection. In her mind, once she was married, once she belonged to Ye Qingchi, she would keep her distance from other men.
Moreover, Fu Xunzhi was her former fiance. It wouldn't look good if anyone saw and word got back to her husband.
"Shuang'er."
But Fu Xunzhi wasn't about to let her go that easily, softly calling out to her.
Gu Shuang kept walking, not expecting him to boldly step forward and grab her.
Startled, Gu Shuang stepped back, fear evident in her movements.
Qingbi quickly stepped in front of her, blocking Fu Xunzhi's path.
"Master Fu, please show some respect for our lady!"
Just a month after Gu Shuang's marriage, Fu Xunzhi had already lost weight, looking frail and somewhat pitiful.
He had learned the truth that Mu Nanfeng hadn't violated Gu Shuang, and now he was consumed with regret and pain.
For the past month, he had been unable to eat or sleep, wishing he could kill his foolish self, constantly obsessing over Gu Shuang, nearly losing his mind.
Looking at Gu Shuang with sorrow in his eyes, his voice filled with tenderness, "Shuang'er, I know Ye Qingchi doesn't truly love you, nor does he sincerely wish to marry you. With his background, you won't find happiness marrying him."
Gu Shuang felt a surge of anger, her cheeks flushed with frustration. "Master Fu, please refrain from speaking nonsense. My husband treats me very well."
Hearing her affectionate address for Ye Qingchi, Fu Xunzhi felt a pang of inexplicable pain, disbelief evident on his earnest face. "Shuang'er, you don't need to deceive me. I've heard people say that a woman's gait can reveal whether she's still a virgin... Just now, watching how you walked in here, I knew, he hasn't touched you, has he?"
"Master Fu, how dare you!" Having their intimate matters discussed in front of so many people by Fu Xunzhi, a learned man, left Gu Shuang speechless, unable to refute.
Surrounded by curious onlookers, the women gathered around, gesturing and whispering toward Gu Shuang.
"Just as they say, Ye Qingchi never really touched you. Marrying him is like being neglected in the backyard, just a small orchid. It's better to divorce him and be with me again. I swear, this time I will treat you well, Shuang'er. Do you believe me..." Shang Jiao leaned against the counter, hands crossed, looking composed as if enjoying a spectacle. Gu Shuang felt embarrassed and bit her lip, feeling on the verge of tears.
"Shuang'er..." Fu Xunzhi, seeing her teary eyes, thought she was genuinely upset, believing she was mistreated in Ye's household. He felt a secret pleasure but approached her with concern, wanting to hug her, and said in a patronizing tone, "You've been mistreated in Ye's house, haven't you? Come with me, and I'll protect you in the future."
Gu Shuang clutched her sleeve, hiding behind Qingbi, feeling this man in front of her was terrifyingly unfamiliar.
"I haven't been mistreated, please stop saying that."
"Look at you, you've even lost weight. You haven't been mistreated? You always go out alone, he has never accompanied you. Isn't that mistreatment?" Fu Xunzhi still didn't believe her.
In his eyes, Gu Shuang was not worthy of Ye Qingchi. With Ye Qingchi's status and identity, how could he genuinely treat Gu Shuang well?
He didn't want to admit that Gu Shuang was better off after marrying.
He only felt satisfied when he saw her mistreated and neglected by Ye Qingchi.
The women around were all discussing Gu Shuang's unworthiness.
At that time, when she had just married into the Ye family, she didn't understand Ye Qingchi's feelings towards her... She thought he married her to help her, and besides, she and her husband had consummated their marriage on their wedding night. She couldn't say these things to outsiders, so she could only silently shed tears and dare not refute Fu Xunzhi's words.
Qingbi's blood surged, her anger rising, and she grabbed a piece of silk and struck Fu Xunzhi.
Fu Xunzhi managed to withstand the blows, reaching out to pull Gu Shuang.
Gu Shuang, frightened, retreated until she found herself in a familiar and warm embrace. She was embraced from behind by the person, and then she trembled with panic, tears streaming down her face as she reached out to hold him, "Husband... I want to go home..."
Ye Qingchi held her soft body with one hand, wrapping her in his cloak, lifting her up and kicking Fu Xunzhi away.
"What are you, dare to touch my wife?" Ye Qingchi's face turned cold.
Fu Xunzhi's face turned pale with anger, falling to the ground upon seeing Ye Qingchi's tender care for Gu Shuang. "Ye Qingchi, let go of Shuang'er."
Ye Qingchi sneered, "I heard you, a scholar, not studying properly, but spending your days near my Ye family to ogle women?"
Fu Xunzhi's expression changed, "I didn't!"
Ye Qingchi looked down at him, "Whether you did or not, officials will come to investigate you soon. As for the Ministry of Personnel, starting today, you don't have to go for duty."
Fu Xunzhi stiffened, "Ye Qingchi, how dare you be so arrogant..."
Ye Qingchi looked at him with disdain, "For the sake of Shuang'er, even if I act arrogantly, what can you do? You're just a minor official in the Ministry of Personnel, I still have the power to knock your hat off."
Fu Xunzhi's face turned completely pale.
Ye Qingchi didn't waste any more words with him, and carried the frightened Gu Shuang horizontally onto the carriage.
That night.
Fu Xunzhi was just about to fall asleep when someone covered his mouth, bound his hands and feet, and threw him into the Ye family's residence.
Through the window lattice.
Sounds of passionate lovemaking echoed from the delicate room, causing embarrassment to anyone who heard it.
"Husband, please... don't come..."
"Just once, and Shuang'er doesn't want it anymore?"
"But I'm still sore..."
Although Ye Qingchi was not restrained after their marriage, his handsome face was irresistible, and she couldn't resist.
The man's voice was gentle, "Trust me, Shuang'er, it won't hurt anymore."
"Um, husband..."
The woman's soft cries mixed with pleasure gradually sounded.
Fu Xunzhi stared wide-eyed, struggling with a mixture of sadness and anger.
By midnight, he lay beneath the window like a lifeless corpse.
Yet Ye Qingchi, afraid he might not hear clearly, still brought his delicate wife closer to the window.
Gu Shuang couldn't understand why her husband was so insistent tonight.
She hung weakly on him, letting him have his way.
In the latter half of the night, she finally drifted off to sleep, exhausted.
Ye Qingchi adjusted his robe and walked to the window to close it, a hint of disdain curling his lips.
Since then, Fu Xunzhi rarely appeared in front of Gu Shuang.
When they occasionally crossed paths, he would slink away like a defeated dog.
After marrying Shang Jiao, he was expelled from the Ministry of Personnel and relegated to a clerk in the City Patrol Bureau.
In the following years, he often saw Ye Qingchi and Gu Shuang's affectionate figures on the streets.
At first, it was just the two of them.
Then they had a daughter named Suisui, and later, a delicate little boy.
As for him, he became a lonely figure for the rest of his life.
"Have you heard? Lady Ye, since her marriage to Young Master Ye, hasn't consummated the marriage yet."
"Is that true? I always said, how could that relatively unknown Fourth Miss be worthy of the eldest grandson of the Ye family?"
"But on the day of the Ye family's grand wedding, with such a lavish ceremony, could it really be just to marry a woman he won't even touch?"
"Maybe there's something wrong with Fourth Miss's body."
"Exactly."
Gu Shuang stepped out of the carriage and just as she entered the Satin Shop, she could hear the murmurs inside, causing her face to flush red.
"Lady, don't mind them. What do they understand? Our young master dotes on you so much. It's probably just envy and jealousy driving them to slander you like this," her maid Qingbi said, casting a disdainful glance at the gossiping noblewomen before guiding Gu Shuang into the shop.
Gu Shuang, always one to avoid confrontation, didn't pay too much attention to these words. After all, she knew in her heart whether her husband cared for her or not.
It's just that she didn't expect to encounter Fu Xunzhi and Shang Jiao in the shop.
Seeing the two of them together, selecting red satin, presumably for wedding attire, Gu Shuang instinctively wanted to leave, not for any other reason than she had severed ties with Fu Xunzhi long ago, with no lingering affection. In her mind, once she was married, once she belonged to Ye Qingchi, she would keep her distance from other men.
Moreover, Fu Xunzhi was her former fiance. It wouldn't look good if anyone saw and word got back to her husband.
"Shuang'er."
But Fu Xunzhi wasn't about to let her go that easily, softly calling out to her.
Gu Shuang kept walking, not expecting him to boldly step forward and grab her.
Startled, Gu Shuang stepped back, fear evident in her movements.
Qingbi quickly stepped in front of her, blocking Fu Xunzhi's path.
"Master Fu, please show some respect for our lady!"
Just a month after Gu Shuang's marriage, Fu Xunzhi had already lost weight, looking frail and somewhat pitiful.
He had learned the truth that Mu Nanfeng hadn't violated Gu Shuang, and now he was consumed with regret and pain.
For the past month, he had been unable to eat or sleep, wishing he could kill his foolish self, constantly obsessing over Gu Shuang, nearly losing his mind.
Looking at Gu Shuang with sorrow in his eyes, his voice filled with tenderness, "Shuang'er, I know Ye Qingchi doesn't truly love you, nor does he sincerely wish to marry you. With his background, you won't find happiness marrying him."
Gu Shuang felt a surge of anger, her cheeks flushed with frustration. "Master Fu, please refrain from speaking nonsense. My husband treats me very well."
Hearing her affectionate address for Ye Qingchi, Fu Xunzhi felt a pang of inexplicable pain, disbelief evident on his earnest face. "Shuang'er, you don't need to deceive me. I've heard people say that a woman's gait can reveal whether she's still a virgin... Just now, watching how you walked in here, I knew, he hasn't touched you, has he?"
"Master Fu, how dare you!" Having their intimate matters discussed in front of so many people by Fu Xunzhi, a learned man, left Gu Shuang speechless, unable to refute.
Surrounded by curious onlookers, the women gathered around, gesturing and whispering toward Gu Shuang.
"Just as they say, Ye Qingchi never really touched you. Marrying him is like being neglected in the backyard, just a small orchid. It's better to divorce him and be with me again. I swear, this time I will treat you well, Shuang'er. Do you believe me..." Shang Jiao leaned against the counter, hands crossed, looking composed as if enjoying a spectacle. Gu Shuang felt embarrassed and bit her lip, feeling on the verge of tears.
"Shuang'er..." Fu Xunzhi, seeing her teary eyes, thought she was genuinely upset, believing she was mistreated in Ye's household. He felt a secret pleasure but approached her with concern, wanting to hug her, and said in a patronizing tone, "You've been mistreated in Ye's house, haven't you? Come with me, and I'll protect you in the future."
Gu Shuang clutched her sleeve, hiding behind Qingbi, feeling this man in front of her was terrifyingly unfamiliar.
"I haven't been mistreated, please stop saying that."
"Look at you, you've even lost weight. You haven't been mistreated? You always go out alone, he has never accompanied you. Isn't that mistreatment?" Fu Xunzhi still didn't believe her.
In his eyes, Gu Shuang was not worthy of Ye Qingchi. With Ye Qingchi's status and identity, how could he genuinely treat Gu Shuang well?
He didn't want to admit that Gu Shuang was better off after marrying.
He only felt satisfied when he saw her mistreated and neglected by Ye Qingchi.
The women around were all discussing Gu Shuang's unworthiness.
At that time, when she had just married into the Ye family, she didn't understand Ye Qingchi's feelings towards her... She thought he married her to help her, and besides, she and her husband had consummated their marriage on their wedding night. She couldn't say these things to outsiders, so she could only silently shed tears and dare not refute Fu Xunzhi's words.
Qingbi's blood surged, her anger rising, and she grabbed a piece of silk and struck Fu Xunzhi.
Fu Xunzhi managed to withstand the blows, reaching out to pull Gu Shuang.
Gu Shuang, frightened, retreated until she found herself in a familiar and warm embrace. She was embraced from behind by the person, and then she trembled with panic, tears streaming down her face as she reached out to hold him, "Husband... I want to go home..."
Ye Qingchi held her soft body with one hand, wrapping her in his cloak, lifting her up and kicking Fu Xunzhi away.
"What are you, dare to touch my wife?" Ye Qingchi's face turned cold.
Fu Xunzhi's face turned pale with anger, falling to the ground upon seeing Ye Qingchi's tender care for Gu Shuang. "Ye Qingchi, let go of Shuang'er."
Ye Qingchi sneered, "I heard you, a scholar, not studying properly, but spending your days near my Ye family to ogle women?"
Fu Xunzhi's expression changed, "I didn't!"
Ye Qingchi looked down at him, "Whether you did or not, officials will come to investigate you soon. As for the Ministry of Personnel, starting today, you don't have to go for duty."
Fu Xunzhi stiffened, "Ye Qingchi, how dare you be so arrogant..."
Ye Qingchi looked at him with disdain, "For the sake of Shuang'er, even if I act arrogantly, what can you do? You're just a minor official in the Ministry of Personnel, I still have the power to knock your hat off."
Fu Xunzhi's face turned completely pale.
Ye Qingchi didn't waste any more words with him, and carried the frightened Gu Shuang horizontally onto the carriage.
That night.
Fu Xunzhi was just about to fall asleep when someone covered his mouth, bound his hands and feet, and threw him into the Ye family's residence.
Through the window lattice.
Sounds of passionate lovemaking echoed from the delicate room, causing embarrassment to anyone who heard it.
"Husband, please... don't come..."
"Just once, and Shuang'er doesn't want it anymore?"
"But I'm still sore..."
Although Ye Qingchi was not restrained after their marriage, his handsome face was irresistible, and she couldn't resist.
The man's voice was gentle, "Trust me, Shuang'er, it won't hurt anymore."
"Um, husband..."
The woman's soft cries mixed with pleasure gradually sounded.
Fu Xunzhi stared wide-eyed, struggling with a mixture of sadness and anger.
By midnight, he lay beneath the window like a lifeless corpse.
Yet Ye Qingchi, afraid he might not hear clearly, still brought his delicate wife closer to the window.
Gu Shuang couldn't understand why her husband was so insistent tonight.
She hung weakly on him, letting him have his way.
In the latter half of the night, she finally drifted off to sleep, exhausted.
Ye Qingchi adjusted his robe and walked to the window to close it, a hint of disdain curling his lips.
Since then, Fu Xunzhi rarely appeared in front of Gu Shuang.
When they occasionally crossed paths, he would slink away like a defeated dog.
After marrying Shang Jiao, he was expelled from the Ministry of Personnel and relegated to a clerk in the City Patrol Bureau.
In the following years, he often saw Ye Qingchi and Gu Shuang's affectionate figures on the streets.
At first, it was just the two of them.
Then they had a daughter named Suisui, and later, a delicate little boy.
As for him, he became a lonely figure for the rest of his life.
