“Father?” Yang Yao called out.
Yang Yan stared at Gu Yi’s retreating figure, his eyes filled with intense malice.
Ever since his last humiliation at Gu Yi’s hands, Yang Yan had stayed away from the Gu residence for quite some time.
Gu Yi, for her part, enjoyed the peace. However, it was time to start preparing for the divorce.
Over the past seven years, she had poured a considerable amount of money into Yang Yan’s pockets. She was determined to make him spit every last coin back out!
Xihua suddenly entered, her expression somewhat odd.
Gu Yi looked up and asked, “What’s wrong? Is An’an asleep?”
“The young miss has fallen asleep, but…” Xihua hesitated, unsure how to phrase it. “Yang Yan just sent a messenger with a verbal request. He said… he wants to hold the young miss’s first birthday celebration at the Yang residence.”
“Ridiculous! An’an bears my surname. Why should it be held at his place? Even that so-called residence of his is mine!” Gu Yi found it utterly baffling.
For An’an’s first birthday, her father and brothers had long planned a grand celebration. Naturally, she wanted to give An’an the very best.
Xihua also thought it was absurd.
Suddenly, Gu Yi seemed to have an idea and changed her tune. “Send someone to reply. Tell him I agree. Also, prepare invitation cards for everyone in the capital who has any dealings with the Gu family.”
To avoid clashing with An’an’s actual birthday celebration, Gu Yi specifically instructed Yang Yan to schedule his event three days earlier.
This nominal “first birthday celebration” might just prove to be a great help to her.
Soon, the day of the Yang family’s celebration arrived.
That day, many prominent officials and nobles from the capital gathered at the Yang residence. In the front hall, Yang Yan grinned from ear to ear.
He was well aware that only a small fraction of these guests were there out of respect for him; most had come because of Old General Gu’s influence.
But so what? The Old General might have been formidable all his life, yet his pampered daughter had still been completely fooled by him, hadn’t she?
In the rear courtyard, Old Lady Yang, whose tongue was as sharp as ever, had Jiangxue play hostess to the female guests, not even sparing a glance for Gu Yi and An’an standing nearby.
Jiangxue skillfully attended to the ladies, a hint of smugness subtly apparent in her demeanor.
“This…” whispered Madam Xue, wife of the Minister of Rites and a close friend of Gu Yi’s, looking at Gu Yi with hesitation.
“I haven’t been feeling well lately, so Mother said she would handle the arrangements,” Gu Yi replied with a smile, her expression betraying nothing.
The more they let their guard down, the easier it would be to execute her plan.
With that statement, Jiangxue and Old Lady Yang grew even more brazen.
When Yang Yan openly led Yang Yao before the crowd, Gu Yi clenched her fists.
Excellent! So that was their scheme after all!
Before everyone, Yang Yan cheerfully introduced Yang Yao. “What a coincidence! An’an’s first birthday falls on the same day as her elder brother Yang Yao’s birthday! Let’s make it a lively celebration together!”
The noble guests of the capital had never witnessed such behavior before. Out of politeness, they forced smiles.
Jiangxue cast a triumphant look in Gu Yi’s direction: So what if she’s Old General Gu’s daughter? Doesn’t she still have to obey her husband?
The thought of her own son having to call that wretched woman ‘Mother’ made Jiangxue’s heart ache, but there was no other way. The master said it wasn’t yet time; they could only endure it for now.
“Sister Jiangxue.” Xihua suddenly appeared, startling Jiangxue.
“What are you doing here?” Jiangxue asked, already carrying herself as the mistress of the house, her demeanor haughty.
Xihua inwardly seethed with resentment, yet her face remained all smiles. “Madam said the master seems a bit drunk and asked Sister Jiangxue to go look after him!”
Jiangxue, already dizzy with the day’s triumphs, didn’t bother to think much and immediately went.
Xihua returned to Gu Yi’s side. “Miss, it’s all taken care of.”
Madam Xue, watching the two whispering, couldn’t help but ask, “What are you two master and servant whispering about?”
Looking at her friend beside her, Gu Yi smiled. “Sister Mei, you’ll find out soon enough.”
Calculating the time, Gu Yi felt it was about right and said to Xihua, “I think I drank a bit too much just now. Help me go lie down for a while.”
Xihua nodded knowingly.
Gu Yi instructed Ruhua to take An’an away. An’an blinked her eyes, but finding that acting cute was useless, she could only slump dejectedly on Ruhua’s shoulder.
“Why isn’t the groom here?” Xihua deliberately asked loudly.
Everyone turned curious glances. Today, Master Yang’s affairs were indeed strange—it was supposed to be a first-year celebration, yet he kept introducing an unfamiliar child everywhere. The madam said nothing, but the maid by the old lady’s side seemed eager to speak.
“Perhaps he’s resting in the study,” Gu Yi said with a smile.
Madam Xue, seeing her friend like this, couldn’t help but speak up. “You, be a bit more careful.”
Gu Yi only smiled without replying. “Later, I’ll ask Sister to watch a good show. I hope Sister will cooperate.”
Madam Xue was utterly confused.
Not long after Gu Yi left the banquet, someone suddenly shouted, “Oh no! There’s a fire in the study!”
Everyone immediately stood up.
Old Lady Yang trembled. “My son!”
Supporting the old lady, everyone hurried to the study to check.
Gu Yi stood anxiously at the study door. “Quick, go save the master!”
Behind the study, thick smoke billowed.
Several servants immediately rushed in. Amid the dense smoke, they saw a figure that seemed to be the master. Upon closer inspection, their expressions turned strange, but they still carried the person out.
Many people rushed to put out the fire. Fortunately, the flames hadn’t spread far and were quickly extinguished.
Only then did the crowd have time to look at the two intertwined figures.
“Ah!!!” Jiangxue, who hadn’t yet reacted, was carried out. Seeing the dark crowd of guests, she immediately covered her face.
“This is…” Madam Xue and the other guests looked closely, only to find the sight utterly scandalous.
Yang Yan and Jiangxue were tightly joined together, inseparable. Both were completely naked, with only parts covered.
“Shameless! Hurry and call the house physician!”
Seeing her son’s flushed face, the old lady had no choice but to muster her authority.
“Yanlang…” Gu Yi, witnessing the scene before her, fainted from the shock.
The house physician arrived sweating profusely. Looking at the two, he showed a troubled expression. “This… That thing has been overstimulated. I’m afraid it will be difficult to separate them.”