“Miss, the Duke requests your presence in the front hall.”
A young servant stood in the courtyard and delivered the message respectfully.
Yun Shuyao’s thoughts were interrupted. She immediately hurried to the front hall.
The servants along the way greeted her, but Yun Shuyao had no time to respond. Her mind was occupied with how to bring up breaking off the engagement to that coldhearted father of hers.
As soon as she entered, she saw that both her father and mother were there, dressed in formal clothes for receiving guests.
Yun Shuyao hurried forward to pay her respects.
“May I ask what Father and Mother have summoned me for?”
Father Yun glanced at her and scolded, “What are you wearing? Go back and change into something more formal.”
Yun Shuyao frowned, confused. “Father, what is this about?”
“Marquis Gu and the others are coming today to settle the wedding arrangements for you and Jinghuai.”
At her father’s words, Yun Shuyao’s expression froze. Only then did she suddenly remember that things had been the same in her previous life.
At some point, her parents and the Gu Family had decided to move the wedding date forward.
Yun Shuyao’s face went completely cold, her expression turning grave.
“Father, I intend to break off my engagement to Gu Jinghuai. He already has feelings for some—”
“Do you think marriage is a game? You can’t just break off an engagement because you feel like it!”
Before Yun Shuyao could finish, Father Yun cut her off angrily.
“Whenever you two had a falling-out before, didn’t you often throw tantrums and say you wouldn’t marry Gu Jinghuai? And wasn’t it always just anger talking?”
Yun Shuyao was ready to lay everything bare, without sparing his feelings.
“This time is different. He—”
She stopped abruptly. She remembered that, at this point in her previous life, Gu Jinghuai had not yet become involved with his cousin.
Changing tack, Yun Shuyao said with conviction, “I’ve heard that Gu Jinghuai has someone else in his heart. That’s why I’ve decided to end the engagement!”
“Outrageous! You’re going to make a scene over hearsay and rumors? You’re getting more and more unreasonable!”
Father Yun slammed his hand down on the table. The teacups trembled from the impact.
Seeing that Yun Chongshan was genuinely angry, Mother Yun—Madam Qin—hurried to smooth things over.
“Your Uncle Gu and the others are already on their way. They’ll be here in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.
Go change your clothes, and don’t cause any more trouble!”
Yun Shuyao hadn’t expected them to arrive so soon. Seeing the anger in her father’s eyes, she knew it would be unwise to keep arguing.
She only asked, her face still set, “Will Gu Jinghuai be coming too?”
When Father Yun saw that she had stopped talking about ending the engagement, his expression eased, though his voice still carried some anger.
“It’s his wedding. Why wouldn’t he come to discuss it?”
At that, Yun Shuyao gave a private, cold laugh. Gu Jinghuai wouldn’t come today. He had something more important to do.
In her previous life, when the two families discussed the wedding, Gu Jinghuai had stayed away, citing official business.
In truth, he had gone to fetch his cousin, whose fiancé had just died, and personally settled her at a country estate.
After returning to her room, Yun Shuyao immediately sent for Chunzhi and instructed her, “Take my seal at once and notify every money house: from this moment on, the Yong’an Marquis’s Residence is not to withdraw even half a tael of silver!”
“Yes, Miss. I’ll go right away.”
Chunzhi’s eyes lit up. Had Miss finally come to her senses?
Watching Chunzhi hurry off so cheerfully, Yun Shuyao could guess what the girl was thinking.
She’d been a ridiculous fool, thinking she was the only one who called it unwavering devotion.
No matter how strongly her father objected, she had to end this engagement!
Yun Shuyao gave a cold smile. Once her money stopped propping them up, that shabby marquis’s household would show its true colors in no time.
After changing her clothes, Yun Shuyao returned to the front hall.
At a country estate outside the city,
Gu Jinghuai had just settled Su Yuyan comfortably and was about to leave when she teased him, “Cousin Heir, are you in such a hurry? Afraid you’ll be late?”
Gu Jinghuai looked at her. The smile that had lifted the corners of his mouth vanished.
“What would I be late for? I just don’t want to keep the elders waiting too long.”
Su Yuyan glanced at the sky and said unhurriedly, “Sister Shuyao notified the elders of both families to discuss your wedding, but she didn’t tell you?”
Gu Jinghuai knew perfectly well. He remembered that in his previous life, the wedding discussions had been moved up because of Yun Shuyao’s little scheme.
At the thought, a trace of displeasure crossed his eyes, and his brows drew together without his realizing it.
Su Yuyan looked at him with a smile and asked, puzzled, “Why didn’t Sister tell you? Why did she go around you and notify only the elders?”
Her words were enough to make anyone feel even more uncomfortable.
As far as Gu Jinghuai was concerned, there could be only one reason.
Somehow, Yun Shuyao had learned in his previous life that he was going to fetch his cousin. That was why she had deliberately moved the wedding date forward—and then sulked at him for a long time afterward.
Given how closely she followed his movements, Gu Jinghuai didn’t believe it was a coincidence.
The thought that Yun Shuyao had sent people to spy on him made him deeply displeased.
She hadn’t even discussed it with him, but had privately settled things with the elders first. Was she planning to force him into marriage?
Although he had already decided to make it up to her in this life, the thought of Yun Shuyao acting this way still stirred his resentment.
Gu Jinghuai didn’t want to continue the conversation. He took out a hairpin and handed it to her.
“Do you like it?”
The rare hibiscus-pink jade hairpin caught Su Yuyan’s eye. She immediately lowered her head, blushing, a smile on her lips.
“I love it. Anything Cousin gives me, I love.
Cousin… could you put it in my hair for me?”
Gu Jinghuai saw nothing improper in it. With practiced ease, he slipped the hairpin into her coiffure.
Since he could no longer marry her, he would make it up to his cousin with more of these worldly possessions.
“Linlang Pavilion, the most renowned shop in Kyoto, is a new venture the Marquis’s Residence has added in recent years.
From now on, whenever you go there to choose something, just give them my name. You can take whatever you like.”
“Thank you, Cousin. You’re so good to me.”
After putting on the hairpin, Su Yuyan’s delight lasted only a moment before turning to sorrow. She sighed softly, with a hint of self-mockery.
“Cousin and Sister Shuyao are both blessed. Unlike me…”
With that, she turned and walked toward the inner courtyard, leaving behind a lonely figure.
Watching her go, Gu Jinghuai thought of how, in his previous life, Yuyan had borne his illegitimate child, heedless of her reputation.
She had also willingly lived in this hidden-away place, asking for no title and never making trouble. A pang of bitterness rose in his heart.
But a moment later, he suppressed those tangled feelings.
He had said that in this life, he would make it up to Shuyao.
Gu Jinghuai swung neatly into the saddle and rode straight for the Yun residence.
Su Yuyan stood by the window of the pavilion, watching Gu Jinghuai gallop away in such a hurry. Jealousy churned in her eyes.
Cousin was so gentle and wealthy—exactly her type. Why had he had an arranged engagement since childhood?
What did it matter if their families were well matched? She refused to believe fate had the final say!
Suddenly, Su Yuyan smiled.
Actually, it was a good thing her fiancé had died. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been brought to Kyoto.
Moving into the country estate was only the first step. Her aunt, the future Marchioness of the Gu household, would help her with what came next.
When Gu Jinghuai arrived at the Shen residence, he found a warm, harmonious scene.
Yun Shuyao sat gracefully in a lower seat, as obedient and gentle as she had been in his previous life. How long had it been since he had seen her so full of life?
Gu Jinghuai felt his eyes grow warm as he remembered all those days and nights after her death.
A longing he could never shake had always lingered in his heart. Now that he was seeing her again, the gloom he had felt earlier faded away.
Shuyao had always been good at getting along with elders and winning his parents’ affection.
His father had always been particularly fond of her as a daughter-in-law.
After marrying into the household, Yun Shuyao had indeed curbed her temper and devoted herself to serving her parents-in-law.
She kept the household running smoothly, and when dealing with the noble families, she was always considerate and thorough. There was nothing about her that anyone could fault.
“Heir, come over and sit beside Shuyao.”
Mother Yun smiled as she beckoned him, clearly warmer toward him than usual.
“Your son pays his respects to the Duke and Duchess. Father, Mother.”
After greeting them with refined courtesy, Gu Jinghuai walked over openly and sat beside Yun Shuyao.
Yun Shuyao was startled. Why had he come?
Shouldn’t he be at the country estate, keeping his newly arrived cousin company?
When Gu Jinghuai looked her way, Yun Shuyao immediately lowered her head.
She was afraid she wouldn’t be able to keep the hatred from showing in her eyes.
Gu Jinghuai, however, thought she was just shy.
Yun Shuyao considered how she might get Gu Jinghuai to cooperate in ending their engagement.
If he agreed, it would save her a great deal of trouble.
After all, their families had been close for generations. If she brought it up herself, her father’s anger would fall entirely on her.
Mother Yun looked at the young couple and thought they suited each other more and more.
“Stay for dinner. The kitchen has made the fermented-rice duck Jinghuai likes. Shuyao is always saying how much you enjoy it.”
Gu Jinghuai’s eyes crinkled at the corners as he praised her. “Yaoyao, you’re so thoughtful.”
Yun Shuyao clenched her fists. The sudden pet name sent a shiver through her.
There was definitely something wrong with Gu Jinghuai today!