However, Gu Nanyin hesitated for a moment before looking up. “Qiuzhi, go to Mother’s courtyard and let her know that I’ll join her for lunch later.” If her mother still had feelings for her father, this matter would indeed be quite tricky. Having been granted the rare opportunity of a second life, she truly did not want to see her mother heartbroken again.
Upon hearing that her daughter would be joining her for the meal, Madam Gu immediately sent someone to the kitchen to add several of Gu Nanyin’s favorite dishes. She herself was not one to indulge in culinary pleasures, usually keeping her meals simple. But when it came to Gu Nanyin, Madam Gu never took things lightly. In front of her daughter, she was not the distinguished eldest daughter of the Prime Minister’s household, nor the esteemed mistress of the Minister’s residence—she was merely an ordinary woman with a mother’s love for her child.
By the time Gu Nanyin arrived, the meal had already been laid out, and Madam Gu was seated at the table waiting for her. Gu Nanyin approached sweetly, linking arms with her mother and playfully apologizing, “Mother, I’m late. Have I kept you waiting too long?”
Madam Gu looked at her with tender affection, her voice gentle. “Not at all. The kitchen just brought the food over.” She softly patted Gu Nanyin’s head. Since her daughter’s childhood, the two had rarely been this close. Back then, Gu Nanyin had been influenced by Gu Qinglian and her mother, misunderstanding that her own mother was cold and indifferent toward her father. This led to a growing distance between them, with heartfelt conversations becoming rare, let alone moments of playful affection like this.
After washing her hands, Gu Nanyin sat down to eat with her mother. As they chatted casually about everyday matters, they occasionally placed dishes into each other’s bowls. From time to time, they exchanged smiles, creating a warm and harmonious atmosphere.
Once the meal was finished and the servants had cleared the table, Gu Nanyin dismissed them. She hesitated inwardly, unsure how to broach the subject.
Madam Gu noticed her daughter’s unease and, though curious, did not press her. After taking another sip of tea, she set down her cup. “Nanyin, is there something you wish to tell me?”
Gu Nanyin furrowed her brow. Her father’s poor treatment of her mother over the years made her fear that mentioning him might cause pain. Yet, this matter had to be addressed clearly, as it would determine whether she should show her father any leniency.
Assuming a solemn expression, as if having made up her mind, she said, “Mother, I wanted to ask… do you still have feelings for Father?”
“Feelings?” Madam Gu’s tone was indifferent, her expression calm and unruffled, as if the matter held no significance to her. “In the most innocent and carefree years of my youth, I defied my family’s objections and married him with all the affection in my heart, believing I had given him my utmost sincerity. I thought we could be like the couples in storybooks—deeply in love, growing old together. But over the years, I’ve come to realize that your father only ever saw me as a means to an end. He rose to his current position by relying on my family’s influence, yet instead of feeling any gratitude, he began to resent me, his wife, for making him appear as a man who lives off his wife’s family in the eyes of others. He is despicable and shameless—wanting both reputation and status. But how could such a perfect arrangement exist in this world?”At this point, Madam Gu paused and looked gently at Gu Nanyin, smiling as she said, “If we’re talking about feelings, the only trace of gratitude I still hold for him is that after marrying him, I had you as a daughter. As for everything else, I stopped caring long ago. So all these years, as long as it didn’t harm you, I could turn a blind eye to everything else.”
She sighed. “I only feel sorry for your grandfather. Back then, he said Gu Yuanyao was a hypocritical opportunist, but at the time, I was blinded by emotions and stubbornly insisted on marrying him. So the suffering I endure now is what I deserve. One must always bear the consequences of their mistakes.”
“So all these years, Mother never mentioned to Grandfather that you were living poorly in the manor? Was it to keep Grandfather from worrying, or to punish yourself for not listening to advice back then?” Gu Nanyin finally understood—her mother had long harbored no feelings for her father. She had thought her mother was afraid Grandfather would resent her father if he learned of his actions, but it turned out her mother had never given her father a second thought.
“I heard you’ve been giving your father the cold shoulder several times in a row?” Madam Gu’s tone was gentle, without a hint of reproach. It was precisely because of this that she had chosen to confide in her daughter today. Otherwise, given how close her daughter had been to Gu Yuanyao before, wouldn’t speaking these words have made her daughter resent her?
“Yes, I was foolish before, thinking Father genuinely cared for me. Now that I’ve come to my senses, I realize he is neither a good husband nor a good father, yet he always puts on an act in front of me. It’s truly disgusting.” Gu Nanyin held nothing back. Now that she knew her mother’s stance, she could confidently seek revenge against her dear father.
Through this conversation, both mother and daughter understood each other’s positions, which meant Gu Yuanyao’s days were likely to become quite difficult from now on. Of course, he was still unaware of this, as he was preoccupied with how to curry favor with the Crown Prince.
Five days later.
Gu Nanyin had been feeling troubled these past few days. With only a month left until her grandfather’s birthday, she didn’t know what to give him. Finding a gift wasn’t the hard part—the challenge was that her grandfather had held a high position for so many years. What delicacies hadn’t he tasted? What treasures hadn’t he seen? What could truly reflect her heartfelt sentiments?
Seeing Gu Nanyin frowning with worry these past few days, Qin Xue grew anxious. “Miss, why don’t I return to the Prince’s manor and ask the Prince for something valuable?” The Prince had plenty of treasures, his private vaults overflowing. He certainly wouldn’t hesitate to give something to the young lady.
“That won’t do. Those are the Prince’s treasures, and a gentleman does not take what others cherish. Besides, the birthday gift for Grandfather must be prepared by me personally to truly reflect my sincerity.”
Qin Xue wanted to say that the young lady herself was the Prince’s most important treasure, and everything else paled in comparison. But that seemed a bit too forward, and she feared saying it might embarrass the young lady.
Just then, Baishao hurried in from outside. “Miss, there’s a monk outside who says he wants to see you.”
“A monk?” Gu Nanyin was puzzled. “Take him to the front hall. I’ll be there shortly.” Baishao did as instructed.
When Gu Nanyin arrived, she saw a young monk sitting upright in a chair.
“It’s you.” Gu Nanyin was surprised. Wasn’t this the young monk from Baohua Temple who had helped them interpret their fortune sticks?”Benefactor,” the young monk stood up quickly upon seeing her approach, taking a string of prayer beads from his sleeve. “Master heard that Prime Minister Su’s birthday is approaching soon, so he asked me to deliver this string of prayer beads as a gift.”
Gu Nanyin was extremely puzzled: “Master Xuankong resides within the Buddhist order, how does he know my grandfather’s birthday?” As soon as she asked this, she remembered that Master Xuankong was a great master capable of divination. But was such a trivial matter as her grandfather’s birthday worth him specifically casting a divination for?