Chaрtеr 2: Неr Сurrеnt Husbаnd Тurns Оut to Вe thе Boу Shе Hаted Моst аt Fourtееn!
A mоmеnt lаtеr, thе littlе girl rаn baсk into thе innеr chamber.
Follоwing clоselу bеhind hеr wаs a maid drеssed in an арriсоt-cоlorеd short jaсkеt аnd dееp rоbe.
Round-faсеd, with аlmоnd-shаped eуеs аnd rosу chеeks.
It was Qiu Yаn, thе mаid whо had beеn bу Shen Zuihuan’s sidе since сhildhооd.
Qiu Yаn’s aррearance hadn’t chаnged muсh.
Аs sооn аs Shen Zuihuаn saw her, her еyеs instantlу brightenеd.
Seeing a familiar face in this unfamiliar place brought a slight sense of reassurance to her heart.
After all, she was only fourteen this year. No matter how composed she usually appeared, she was still just a half-grown child.
Unable to hide her thoughts.
She glanced behind Qiu Yan.
…Had her “husband” not come?
Qiu Yan seemed to have just been crying—her eyes were red and swollen, like walnuts.
Hearing Shen Zuihuan softly call her name,
tears began to fall again like broken strings of pearls.
She quickly turned her back, wiped away her tears, and forced a smile at Shen Zuihuan. “It’s good that you’re awake, Mistress. Mr. Liu will be here soon.”
“Let me help you get dressed first.”
Only then did Shen Zuihuan suddenly realize she wasn’t properly dressed.
Though she had been feeling uncomfortable, a rush of heat surged to her head, flushing her pretty face. She nodded at Qiu Yan.
Qiu Yan helped her behind the screen.
She assisted her into a lotus-root-colored ruqun, over which she draped a lightweight, moon-white brocade beizi with subtle patterns.
Still holding the bronze mirror, Shen Zuihuan curiously examined herself from side to side.
Once out from behind the screen, Shen Zuihuan saw the little girl sitting obediently on the couch, waiting for her.
When Shen Zuihuan emerged, the girl’s eyes lit up. Lifting her round little face, she called out crisply, “Mother.”
…Even though she knew this child might truly be her daughter,
Shen Zuihuan still felt somewhat awkward upon hearing the word “Mother.”
She lightly bit her lip.
Trying to soften her voice, she tentatively asked, “…What’s your name?”
The little girl paused, blinking her clear black-and-white eyes.
In a sweet, childish voice, she said, “…Tangtang… My name is Tangtang… my courtesy name is Rou Jia.”
After saying this, Gu Tang quickly lowered her gaze.
Her long, butterfly-wing-like black eyelashes trembled slightly.
She knew her mother hadn’t liked her before.
No matter how she tried to please or act cute, her mother always remained cold toward her.
This time, she deliberately didn’t mention her surname, hoping to hear her mother call her by her nickname.
…She knew it wasn’t right, but she really… wanted so badly to be close to her mother…
Her head lowered, she couldn’t help but steal a hopeful glance at the woman before her.
But she saw Shen Zuihuan frowning slightly, thinking for a moment before asking with a faint blush on her cheeks,
“…Are you… Wei Tangtang?”
As soon as the words fell, Gu Tang’s face instantly turned pale.
The forced smile she had put on to please her froze on her face.
Shen Zuihuan was puzzled.
Then she heard Gu Tang say, “Mother… my surname is Gu…”
Clatter—
The bronze mirror slipped from her hand, fell to the ground, and shattered into pieces.
Shen Zuihuan’s face turned pale. “Surname Gu!?”
Could it be that her current husband wasn’t her fiancé, Wei Xianyù?!
Gu Tang nodded with an awkward expression.Although she knew her mother did not like her father, she never imagined her mother still harbored lingering feelings for Uncle Wei.
Growing up, she had not been unaware of the gossip circulating outside.
People said her mother and Uncle Wei were childhood sweethearts, deeply in love with each other.
But her father had forcibly separated them using his power and influence.
That was why her mother had always treated her father coldly… and did not like her either.
In the past, whenever Gu Tang heard her classmates gossiping, she would always end up fighting with them.
But this time… it was her mother who said it herself.
She felt a suffocating tightness in her chest, her pearly teeth lightly biting her lips until the taste of rust spread in her mouth before she snapped back to reality.
Suppressing her chaotic thoughts, she lowered her head and walked in small steps to Shen Zuihuan’s side.
With a voice tinged with tears, she asked with concern, “Mother, are your hands hurt?”
As she spoke, she instructed Qiu Yan to clean up the broken pieces on the floor.
She herself helped Shen Zuihuan to sit on the couch.
Shen Zuihuan, dazed and disoriented, was led to the couch by her.
Her palms were covered in a sticky, fine sweat, and her heart pounded incessantly.
She had not yet recovered from the earlier shock.
Carefully thinking about all the young men in the capital surnamed Gu and around her age…
…It couldn’t be that person, could it?
…It definitely couldn’t be that person!
Her lips trembling, she stammered as she asked Gu Tang, “Your father… what is his name?”
Gu Tang lowered her eyes and answered respectfully, “Father’s surname is Gu, given name Changce, courtesy name Jing’an.”
After a pause, she added, “…He is the Cavalry General personally appointed by His Majesty.”
Having said that, she blinked her eyes and looked at Shen Zuihuan.
As if hoping her words would leave a good impression of her father in her mother’s heart.
But Shen Zuihuan could not care about such things now.
Her mind was filled with Gu Changce!
Gu Changce!
It really was Gu Changce!
Her current husband was actually the boy she had hated the most when she was fourteen!
She felt a ringing in her ears, and her vision went dark.
Hearing this news felt as if the sky were about to collapse—
Just then, a faint sound of footsteps suddenly came from outside the moon gate.
Shen Zuihuan, supporting her dizzy head with her hand, looked up in the direction of the sound.
She saw a slender young man dressed in an indigo-blue straight robe, carrying a huanghuali medicine chest, walking anxiously toward them.
As soon as Gu Tang saw the man, her face instantly lit up with joy.
She jumped down from the couch.
Hurriedly ran to the man’s side, tugged at his sleeve, and pulled him toward Shen Zuihuan.
“Uncle Liu, please check on my mother and see how she is now.”
The man seemed to have rushed over in a hurry.
When he quickly walked up to Shen Zuihuan, his breathing was still uneven.
Panting heavily, he gently wiped the fine sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.
He bowed to Shen Zuihuan, then immediately took out a portable pulse pillow from his medicine chest.
Seeing Shen Zuihuan’s troubled expression, his delicate brows furrowed slightly.
But he still spoke gently, “Allow me to take your pulse first, Madam.”
When Shen Zuihuan heard the word “Madam,”
She couldn’t help but think of that ill-tempered man again.
Nevertheless, with a pale face, she extended her snow-white wrist and placed it on the pulse pillow.
After a moment, Liu Heyu slowly spoke, “The pulse is floating and tight, indicating an invasion of wind-cold obstructing the defensive qi. Are you still experiencing chills and fever, Madam?”As soon as these words were spoken, before Shen Zuihuan could open her mouth, Gu Tang, who was standing nearby, spoke up first.
“Last night, after giving her medicine, I just felt her forehead and the fever has already subsided.”
After a pause, she then lifted her small face and said to Liu Heyu, “But she’s still sweating.”