Knowing that Gu Nanyin wasn’t angry, Qiuzhi flashed a lively smile, revealing two little canine teeth that made her look utterly adorable. “Miss, it’s all because you’ve spoiled us. Besides, I’m going to serve you for a lifetime—I’ll never marry.”
“Silly girl,” Gu Nanyin said, patting Qiuzhi’s head.
She got up from the bed and washed her face with Qiuzhi’s assistance. Sitting before the mirror, she let Qiuzhi and Baishao apply cosmetics to her face, occasionally stealing a yawn when they weren’t looking.
Today, Qiuzhi styled Gu Nanyin’s hair into a flowing cloud bun, which looked both elegant and dignified. Gu Nanyin glanced at the hairpin Qiuzhi had chosen for her in the mirror and shook her head. “Not this one. I’ll wear the double-phoenix kingfisher-feather gold hairpin my grandmother gave me.” This had been a gift from her maternal grandmother on her birthday. Not only was it extremely valuable, but it was also part of her grandmother’s dowry, making it deeply meaningful.
“As for the bracelet, I’ll wear the red-gold twisted wire double-clasp bracelet the Prince gave me.” Qiuzhi obediently retrieved it from the jewelry box. Gu Nanyin’s skin was naturally fair, and the red-gold bracelet made her wrist appear as white as snow.
Qiuzhi then paired it with a set of gold filigree earrings inlaid with rubies. After all this preparation, more than an hour had passed. It wasn’t until someone from her mother’s side came to urge them that she finally had the maids carry the congratulatory gifts and left the mansion.
Madam Gu had already been waiting in the carriage for a while. When Gu Nanyin emerged and saw only one carriage outside the mansion, she was somewhat surprised. “Mother, where is Father?” Today was her maternal grandfather’s birthday. Even if her father didn’t care for her mother, it was unthinkable for him not to attend the celebration—doing so would surely invite criticism.
Madam Gu snorted coldly. “Your father wants to bring that Gu Qinglian along. I think he’s lost his mind. Who knows what kind of bewitching potion Concubine Yun has fed him, but insisting on bringing a mere concubine-born daughter to his father-in-law’s birthday celebration—isn’t he afraid of being ridiculed?” Madam Gu wasn’t jealous; she simply felt that Gu Yuanyao’s behavior today was a blatant disregard for her Su family, as if he were deliberately slapping her father in the face.
Hearing this, Gu Nanyin was furious. Was Gu Yuanyao planning to tear off all pretenses? To publicly trample her grandfather’s dignity? That didn’t seem right. Given Gu Yuanyao’s current standing, he shouldn’t have the courage to do so. Something unusual must be afoot. She was determined to see what tricks her dear father had up his sleeve today.
“Mother, let’s go ahead. Celebrating Grandfather’s birthday is the most important thing today. Those insignificant people aren’t worth our time or attention.” With that, Gu Nanyin boarded the carriage with Baishao’s assistance.
Madam Gu nodded. She hadn’t planned to wait for Gu Yuanyao anyway. After all, Gu Yuanyao didn’t treat her Su family as his own. If not for their nominal marital relationship, it wouldn’t matter whether Gu Yuanyao attended or not. Madam Gu lowered the carriage curtain, and the carriage set off toward the Prime Minister’s residence.
The Prime Minister’s residence was adorned with lanterns and colorful decorations today, as it was the sixtieth birthday of the household’s eldest patriarch. General Su had spared no effort these past few days, determined to make his father’s celebration both grand and warm.Speaking of the Su Family, although it was a long-established great clan and Old Master Su held the highest official position, the family ethos was exceptionally good. Old Master Su had only one woman in his life, Lady Su, and the rear courtyard remained empty. His wife bore him a son and a daughter: Su Huaian, who held the rank of general, and Madam Gu, the mother of Gu Nanyin. Su Huaian and Madam Gu were only three years apart in age, and the siblings had been extremely close since childhood. Even when Madam Gu, against his opposition, insisted on marrying Gu Yuanyao, it did not truly affect their bond.
Like Old Master Su, Su Huaian, despite being a formidable general, never had any messy women in his rear courtyard. Perhaps it was the inherited devotion of the Su family, but Su Huaian’s wife, Qin Yashu, was not even from a noble or powerful family—she was merely the daughter of an elderly soldier he had met while fighting at the border.
The Su family never cared about family background or status. As long as both parties liked each other and their character was sound, Old Master Su would not interfere in his children’s marriages. Of course, Gu Yuanyao was an exception—after all, he was a hypocritical scoundrel.
When the carriage arrived at the gate of the Prime Minister’s residence, Madam Gu lifted the curtain and looked at the main entrance. She had lived here for over a decade, yet now it felt both familiar and strange. In recent years, she had rarely returned to the Prime Minister’s residence. Firstly, according to etiquette and rules, a married woman could not easily return to her maiden home. Secondly, Madam Gu felt deep guilt for not heeding her parents’ advice regarding her marriage back then. As the only daughter in the family, both her parents and her brother had cherished her like a precious pearl. Perhaps it was because she felt secure in their love that she had so defiantly rejected her family’s well-intentioned advice back then.
Seeing her mother hesitating to alight from the carriage, Gu Nanyin naturally understood the guilt in her mother’s heart. She wrapped her arm around her mother’s and said with an innocent expression, “Mother, let’s go in quickly. I want to see what treasures my cousin has brought back for me this time. If we’re late, my cousin will snatch them all.” Her cousin enjoyed doing business and was seldom in the capital, spending most of his time sailing overseas and trading with foreigners. This time, because of her grandfather’s birthday, he had returned early and, as usual, must have brought back many exotic items for her.
“Alright,” Madam Gu glanced tenderly at her daughter, knowing she was deliberately speaking this way to keep her from dwelling on such sad and guilty emotions. Gu Nanyin’s cousin was always dignified and steady—how could she possibly snatch things Gu Nanyin liked?
Before the mother and daughter could alight from the carriage, Su Huaian had already come out to greet them. It turned out that as soon as the servants of the Prime Minister’s residence saw the Gu family carriage arrive, they had reported it to the general.
Su Huaian stepped forward and lifted the carriage curtain, smiling as he said, “Sister, Nanyin, why have you arrived so early?” It was still early, and the other guests had not yet arrived.
Gu Nanyin smiled sweetly, “Uncle, of course we family members should come early. I still have some private words to share with Grandfather and Grandmother.”
“Good,” Su Huaian looked at Madam Gu, “Father and Mother have been waiting for you.” As he spoke, he personally helped the mother and daughter alight from the carriage. He did not ask why Gu Yuanyao had not come—that despicable creature was better off never appearing before him again, as even a glance would bring nothing but ill fortune.The three of them entered the mansion gate, and Gu Nanyin carefully observed every blade of grass and every tree in the Prime Minister’s residence, her long eyelashes concealing all her inner thoughts. In truth, it wasn’t just her mother who felt guilty toward her maternal grandfather and his family—wasn’t she herself the same? In her previous life, she had been close to her father, and seeing that her maternal grandfather’s family was not particularly warm toward him, she had grown dissatisfied with them and distanced herself. Yet the elders never held it against her. No matter how coldly she treated them, their affection for her remained unchanged, just as it had always been. Perhaps this was the reason why the Su Family had been able to endure for generations—their magnanimity and broad-mindedness were beyond what ordinary people could match.