==Chapter Eight==
Feng Wenyu was utterly bewildered by the questioning.
But Qiao Anyu had already left, leaving Feng Wenyu no chance to seek clarification. Exchanging a glance with Jiang Zhilan, she noticed the latter frowning as well.
Jiang Zhilan stole a subtle glance at Feng Wenyu, a faint suspicion forming in her heart.
Feng Wenyu might be turning a blind eye, but there was only one person Qiao Anyu would specifically mention. Still, Jiang Zhilan kept her speculation to herself. Since A-Yu and Lord Gu were already engaged, there was no need to complicate matters.
Moreover, she had noticed that Feng Wenyu seemed somewhat distracted during the argument with Qiao Anyu, as if forcing herself to stay focused.
Feng Wenyu couldn’t hold back her frustration:
“It’s always like this—showing up inexplicably and leaving just as mysteriously, leaving everyone confused.”
Jiang Zhilan deliberately tried to divert her attention: “Alright, since you two don’t get along, just avoid seeing her as much as possible.”
Today was an exception—they had to show respect to Old Madam Qiao. Normally, no sensible young lady would thoughtlessly bring them together.
Jiang Zhilan said with a smile:
“But what about you? Didn’t you go find Lord Gu? Why didn’t you talk with him longer?”
Feng Wenyu’s face stiffened. She lowered her head and fell silent.
Jiang Zhilan was taken aback. She furrowed her brows and whispered, “What’s going on?”
Feng Wenyu forced a faint smile.
She couldn’t bring herself to say that Gu Yushi felt they weren’t suited for each other. But such matters couldn’t be kept secret for long. Once Gu Yushi made a formal visit, the news would surely spread throughout Jingcheng.
She could only vaguely reply, “I’m fine.”
Jiang Zhilan wished she could hand her a small mirror to see her own expression—it was far from “fine.”
Not wanting to dwell on the subject, Feng Wenyu quickly turned her attention to the group of male guests gathered nearby. The distance wasn’t too far, and she could vaguely make out their features. But perhaps because her mind was preoccupied, everyone she looked at seemed unsatisfactory—she couldn’t pick out a single outstanding one.
Feng Wenyu felt disheartened.
She didn’t want to gamble away her future in a moment of pique.
Listless and dispirited, she said wearily, “Sister Jiang, I want to go back.”
Jiang Zhilan didn’t stop her. Hesitating briefly, she finally said:
“I’ll make your excuses to Old Madam Qiao. Since you’re not feeling well, you should return early and rest.”
She provided Feng Wenyu with an alibi.
Feng Wenyu’s nose tingled with emotion. She nodded hastily and left with Jinshu and Shuyao. Once outside the Qiao residence, she instinctively scanned the area but saw no sign of the Gu family’s carriage.
In the past, whenever she and Gu Yushi attended the same banquet, he would deliberately park his carriage next to hers, hoping she would spot him immediately.
At this thought, Feng Wenyu’s eyes dimmed with sadness.
She couldn’t understand how someone could change so abruptly without any warning.
Jinshu looked at her with concern and called out softly, “Miss.”
Feng Wenyu sniffled and said, “Let’s return to the estate.”
She needed to go back and inform her mother and father about this matter, so the household could be prepared.
Breaking off an engagement always tarnished a woman’s reputation, but she wasn’t overly worried about it. Gu Yushi might have changed, but she still trusted his character. Even if he intended to call off the engagement, he would surely devise an appropriate reason.
The more she thought about it, the more it hurt. Her heart felt as if it were filled with sour liquid—so bitter and astringent that her vision blurred.
Feng Wenyu indignantly cursed aloud, “Scoundrel!”
It was clearly him who came to provoke her, yet now he was the one saying they weren’t suitable!
As soon as she returned to the manor, she rushed straight to the main courtyard and told Zhou Yueyu about the incident. Before her mother, she couldn’t hold back, tears streaming down her face:
“How absurd! With just one word—’unsuitable’—he washed his hands clean of everything.”
“If he thought we were unsuitable, why did he come to provoke me in the first place?”
She cried like a tabby cat, her eyes and cheeks flushed red, her body trembling with sobs as she kept sniffling. Her almond-shaped eyes, brimming with tears, looked up pitifully. As the youngest child in the household, she had always been doted on growing up.
The only person she didn’t get along with was Qiao Anyu, and even their disputes were merely verbal squabbles. Qiao Anyu didn’t like her, but she disdained using her family background or her aunt the Empress to pressure others.
When had she ever been bullied so harshly before?
Zhou Yueyu’s face also turned cold abruptly. She had betrothed her youngest daughter to Gu Yushi, not so he could bully her.
Zhou Yueyu hugged her, patting and comforting her, her chest heaving with anger:
“If he thinks they’re unsuitable, the two families can simply call off the engagement. Who would cling to him?!”
When Feng Wenxu came to the main courtyard to pay his respects, he heard the sound of crying. He hurried inside and was taken aback when he saw who was crying: “Mother, what’s going on? Who bullied A-Yu?”
Zhou Yueyu glared at him in transferred anger:
“How dare you say that! If it weren’t for you, A-Yu would never have met Gu Yushi.”
Feng Wenxu was utterly confused. Gu Yushi?
Even as A-Yu’s own brother, he couldn’t in good conscience say that Gu Yushi had treated A-Yu poorly.
Zhou Yueyu briefly explained the situation, growing angrier as she spoke:
“No need to wait for him to come here. You and your father take the token and go directly to the Gu family to call off this engagement!”
Feng Wenxu was shocked. He glanced at his sobbing sister, then at his clearly furious mother. He couldn’t believe it and was somewhat hesitant: “Could there be some misunderstanding?”
Zhou Yueyu sneered:
“Whether there’s a misunderstanding or not, since he said those words to A-Yu’s face, calling off the engagement is imperative!”
A young woman’s dignity shouldn’t be trampled upon like this.
“If he can treat A-Yu this way over a misunderstanding before marriage, what will happen after they marry? If another misunderstanding arises, won’t A-Yu be wronged to death?”
Her eldest daughter had married into the imperial clan, while her youngest was betrothed to someone from a humble background. She had always felt this was unfair to her younger daughter. If not for Gu Yushi’s promising talents, she would never have agreed to this match.
People move in social circles.
In the future, her eldest daughter would live in luxury and prominence, while her youngest wouldn’t even be able to enter the central social circles. She might even have to bow and show deference when meeting her eldest sister or other women with Imperial decrees. Over time, wouldn’t her youngest daughter harbor resentment?
The sisters would gradually grow distant.
It wasn’t that blood ties were unreliable, but human nature being what it is.
People naturally distance themselves from those who make them feel embarrassed or uncomfortable.
Feng Wenxu fell silent. His camaraderie with a schoolmate ultimately couldn’t compare to his bond with his sister. He sat down and began contemplating the matter of breaking off the engagement, sighing:
“We still need a reason to call off the engagement.”
In such matters, whether initiated by the woman or the man, it was always the woman’s reputation that suffered.
Thinking of this, Feng Wenxu frowned, and he too began to feel displeased with Gu Yushi. He had spoken so sweetly back then, but look at what happened now?
Feng Wenyu felt both guilty and sorrowful seeing her mother and elder brother troubled over her situation. Wiping her tears, she said:
“Mother and Eldest Brother need not worry. Let him come to us.”
“Someone like him would have considered everything thoroughly.”
Her voice was muffled as she spoke.
Yet Zhou Yueyu exchanged a glance with Feng Wenxu – how could A-Yu still believe Gu Yushi would protect her reputation at a time like this?
When Minister Feng returned from his duties that evening, Zhou Yueyu told him about the matter. Feng Rongyu frowned, remained silent for a long while, then shook his head with some regret.
Zhou Yueyu couldn’t stand his reaction and grew irritated:
“What? Is Lao Ye reluctant to lose such an outstanding son-in-law?”
Feng Rongyu wiped his hands: “When seeking a husband for our daughter, family background and appearance are secondary – moral character is what matters most.”
This was precisely why the two families had arranged the marriage in the first place.
Zhou Yueyu fell silent.
Feng Rongyu shook his head again:
“His character is impeccable. Even if their affection cooled after marriage, he would never deny A-Yu proper respect. Moreover, he’s promising and young, currently favored by the Emperor.”
Zhou Yueyu sneered: “After all that talk, the real emphasis is on that last point, isn’t it?”
Having been married for many years, Feng Rongyu understood she was venting her anger:
“I didn’t say anything of the sort. I merely regret losing this marriage alliance.”
What use is an illustrious family background? Without capable descendants to sustain it, it would eventually decline.
However regretful he felt, Feng Rongyu didn’t oppose breaking off the engagement.
After all, Gu Yushi wasn’t the only man of good character in this world. Since Gu Yushi intended to break the engagement, if their family refused, wouldn’t A-Yu always be looked down upon by him in the future?
Zhou Yueyu’s anger subsided. She climbed onto the bed:
“At least you haven’t lost your senses completely.”
But Zhou Yueyu still couldn’t sleep peacefully, tossing and turning restlessly.
Feng Rongyu asked helplessly: “What’s wrong now?”
Zhou Yueyu’s voice came with a sob:
“It’s all my fault for agreeing to this marriage back then. Otherwise, A-Yu wouldn’t be in such a dilemma now.”
“Besides, no matter how harshly A-Yu speaks, I can tell she hasn’t let go of Gu Yushi.”
Since the current reign encouraged widows to remarry, breaking an engagement and seeking another match would at most invite some envious gossip from certain families – this didn’t worry Zhou Yueyu.
What worried Zhou Yueyu was that A-Yu clearly hadn’t moved on from Gu Yushi, and must be suffering greatly in her heart.
Feng Rongyu patted her back, telling her not to blame herself:
“Out with the old, in with the new.”
“After this engagement is broken off, help her consider a few more matches. When she sees new prospects, she’ll forget all about the past.”
What a way to put it…
Zhou Yueyu felt too exasperated to even cry, but she had to admit he made sense. She began mentally listing unmarried young men from prominent families in Jingcheng.
Feng Wenyu didn’t know that before her engagement was even formally broken, her parents already had plans to arrange new matches for her.
Even if she had known, she wouldn’t have objected.
She wasn’t truly determined to cling desperately to Gu Yushi alone.
Was she supposed to remain unmarried just because of Gu Yushi?
Feng Wenyu was currently busy gathering all the gifts Gu Yushi had given her – including jewelry and various letters – into a chest, preparing to return everything to him later.
If he refused to take them back, she would discard them anyway.
When reading romantic novels, she particularly despised those who couldn’t make clean breaks and kept lingering attachments.
She refused to become someone she herself would dislike.
Jinshu and Shuyao watched helplessly, wanting to step forward to help, but the young lady wouldn’t allow it. They had no choice but to watch her tidy up by herself.
Exchanging a glance, they both thought the young lady was truly unfortunate.
She had indeed met with a scoundrel.
Why hadn’t they noticed before that Lord Gu was such a despicable man!
Gu Yushi always meant what he said.
Three days later, Feng Wenyu saw Shuyao rushing over, pointing outside while gasping for breath:
“Young lady, Gu… Lord Gu is here!”
Shuyao had almost called him “young master” out of habit, but remembering that Lord Gu and the young lady were no longer connected, she quickly swallowed the word.
Though Feng Wenyu had prepared herself thoroughly, when the moment actually arrived, her face still paled slightly, and she unconsciously tightened her grip on the handkerchief.