Even through the layers of clothing, Chong Jiu could distinctly feel the temperature from her fingertips, as if they had seared right through to the pit of his heart.
His face, already devoid of expression, now tightened at the corners of his mouth, refusing to let even a hint of emotion show.
Su Qingwan also struggled to compose herself. In the end, all she could hear was the pounding of her own heartbeat and the pitter-patter of rain—like pearls, big and small, falling onto a jade plate—clear and melodious, yet striking with a tingling sensation that crept into her heart.
The path wasn’t particularly long, but to Su Qingwan, it felt as though they had walked for an eternity.
When they finally arrived at Linglong Yuan, Chong Jiu set her down.
Su Qingwan had been well-protected by Chong Jiu and hadn’t gotten wet at all, except for a few raindrops clinging to a strand of her long hair. Under the glow of the lanterns in the corridor, they sparkled brilliantly.
Chong Jiu restrained himself with great effort, resisting the urge to reach out and touch those raindrops.
Just then, Qiyi hurried over. “Miss, please go inside quickly so you don’t catch a chill. Qinxin has gone to have hot water prepared for you. You should take a warm bath right away.”
Su Qingwan nodded and turned to Chong Jiu. “You should hurry back too and rinse off with some hot water.”
Chong Jiu silently turned and left.
But in the moment he turned away, Su Qingwan caught sight of his flushed ears. Unconsciously, she reached up to touch her own ears.
They felt a bit warm too.
How strange.
A quarter of an hour later, Su Qingwan immersed herself in the bathtub, savoring the warmth of the water. Beside her, Qinxin reminded, “Miss, you mustn’t indulge in the heat for too long. Given your pregnancy, you shouldn’t soak for an extended period.”
“Mm,” Su Qingwan nodded, closing her eyes as she cleared away all the lingering tenderness in her heart.
Her supposed husband had faked his death, while the man who had truly been her husband in every sense was now truly gone. She had many important matters to attend to now—she needed to consider the Su family, herself, and the child in her womb. There was simply no room for idle distractions.
Moreover, Su Qingwan had never once considered remarrying.
So, what had just happened was truly nothing more than a matter of expediency in an urgent situation. It meant nothing and changed nothing.
When she opened her eyes again, Su Qingwan had regained her usual clarity. After changing her clothes, she went to the window and gazed out at the curtain of rain, a slight smile curling at the corners of her lips.
“Heavy rain is good. That way, Gu Yunrui will have to stay overnight at Haitang Courtyard.”With him—weighed down by worries and drunk—and her, with her ulterior motives, along with the other her and her mother, both prone to volatile jealousy, who knew what kind of spectacular drama they would stage tonight?”
Su Qingwan slept soundly that night, without a single dream.
The next morning, as the dawn light streamed in, Qinxin entered cheerfully, carrying a basin of water.
Her tone was lively. “Miss, Haitang Courtyard was quite lively this morning. The Second Young Master had too much to drink and rested in one of the side rooms there. Who would have thought that this morning, Miss Xu would be found lying beside him in disheveled clothes? The Second Young Mistress was so furious she slapped Miss Xu several times before Madam Xu stepped in to stop her. But it’s said that nothing actually happened between them—Miss Xu didn’t even shed any blood.”
Su Qingwan: “Whether anything happened or not, the two of them have still been physically intimate. And my second aunt has always valued her maternal family highly—Xu Tanxin is the youngest and most beloved daughter of her eldest brother. No matter what, they’ll have to give an explanation for this. Bring me breakfast—I’ll eat quickly. I expect they’ll call for me soon.”
“Yes.”
Before long, a maid from the main courtyard indeed came to summon Su Qingwan. Fortunately, Su Qingwan had already finished her morning meal and completed her toilette.
When she left Linglong Yuan, she didn’t see Chong Jiu anywhere and proceeded directly to the main courtyard.
Upon reaching the main hall of the principal courtyard, Su Qingwan heard choked sobs even before entering.
Once inside, she discovered Gu Yunrui hadn’t gone to his official duties. He sat gloomily in the Grand Preceptor’s Chair, his expression dark.
Hearing the greetings, he lifted his head and met Su Qingwan’s gaze directly, a flicker of complexity passing through his eyes.
Su Qingwan ignored him, moving past the weeping occupants to sit at Feng Shi’s right hand. “Mother, what matter requires my presence?”
Feng Shi was genuinely weary. Rubbing her temples, she indicated the tearful Xu Tanxin beside her. “Early this morning, Miss Xu was discovered sleeping together with A-Ci.”
Gu Yunrui abruptly raised his head. “Mother, I’ve told you repeatedly – nothing happened between us! I was drunk!”
Xu Tanxin sobbed, “That’s right, nothing happened. It’s just that the Second Young Master had too much to drink and mistook me for Cousin. He kept kissing and embracing me, and I couldn’t break free…”
Gu Yunrui: “…”
The matter had indeed become impossible to clarify. Nearby, Xu Shi joined in the weeping. “Marquis’ Wife, Second Young Master, our Xin’er is an unmarried maiden of good family. Now that this has occurred, what will become of her future?”
She was clearly supporting Xu Tanxin’s position.
Su Qingwan glanced around and noticed Su Xiyue wasn’t present – likely still at Haitang Courtyard, having suffered from emotional distress affecting her pregnancy.
Feng Shi felt utterly overwhelmed. She looked at Su Qingwan and said, “Qingwan, they are your family relatives. In your opinion, how should this matter be resolved?”
As soon as she finished speaking, everyone in the room turned their attention to Su Qingwan.
Su Qingwan understood that Feng Shi was passing her the hot potato – whatever decision made would inevitably offend someone.
She refused to take the bait.
Su Qingwan said gently, “Mother, I am merely the sister-in-law. Xiyue is Second Brother’s wife. Moreover, Miss Xu is Xiyue’s own maternal cousin. I cannot overstep my authority in this matter. Why not let Xiyue make the decision?”
Feng Shi’s face was full of worry. “She naturally refuses. And just now, she became so agitated that she suffered pregnancy complications and fainted again.”
Su Qingwan turned to Xu Shi. “Second Aunt, you are Xiyue’s birth mother. She might not listen to her mother-in-law or me, but she will certainly heed your advice. So regarding how to resolve this matter, wait until Xiyue feels better and discuss it with her.”
Xu Shi’s eyes shifted thoughtfully – she had clearly taken this suggestion to heart.
Feng Shi also breathed a sigh of relief. Although she looked down upon this Xu family girl who had climbed into bed with her son, taking her as a concubine wasn’t unreasonable. Besides, she had previously wanted her son to take a concubine, but had been consistently blocked by Su Xiyue.
Now having this Xu girl as a starting point might actually be beneficial.
Everyone seemed satisfied, except for Gu Yunrui, who glared at Su Qingwan with clear displeasure, anger flickering in his eyes.
When the gathering dispersed and Su Qingwan was leaving, Gu Yunrui angrily stepped forward, blocking her path. “Su Qingwan, are you so eager for me to take a concubine?”
Su Qingwan gazed at him calmly. “A-Ci, you’re being unreasonable. Whether you take a concubine or not has nothing to do with me.”
Gu Yunrui: “Then why did you tell Xu Shi to persuade Xiyue?”
Su Qingwan: “I only asked Second Aunt to discuss with Xi Yue. As for the outcome, they will surely inform you.”
Gu Yunrui was stung by her indifferent attitude. He gritted his teeth, “Su Qingwan, if it were your own husband being schemed against by another woman, would you also force him to accept taking a concubine? You truly are not as good as Xi Yue!”
She wasn’t as good as Su Xiyue?
Su Qingwan laughed, “I am the Eldest Daughter of the Su Family, proficient in all six arts including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Managing internal household affairs is nothing to me. Back then, Grandfather said if I were a man, I could even become an official. You say I’m not as good as Su Xiyue? Clearly, you just prefer someone like her. You can praise her all you want, but why must you belittle me?”
Gu Yunrui: “I…”
Su Qingwan: “How ridiculous you are. Earlier you claimed to be the Shizi, then turned around saying I’m not as good as Su Xiyue. Could it be that you actually are the Shizi, but because you fancy Su Xiyue, you deliberately switched identities and pretended to be A-Ci?”
Gu Yunrui’s eyes widened. He almost nodded, ready to admit what Su Qingwan had said.
But the next moment, Su Qingwan coldly stated, “If that’s truly the case, then you’ve committed the crime of deceiving the emperor. I shall report this to Father-in-law and see how he decides!”
Gu Yunrui broke out in a cold sweat. He realized Su Qingwan still didn’t believe he was Gu Yunrui. Thinking about it, if she believed him, why would she repeatedly urge him to take a concubine?
She must still have feelings for him in her heart.
Seeing Su Qingwan about to leave, Gu Yunrui instinctively reached out to grab her. But just as his hand was about to touch her sleeve, a dark figure suddenly flashed by and kicked his arm.
“Ah!”
Gu Yunrui clutched his nearly broken arm, letting out a painful cry.
Su Qingwan turned around to find Chong Jiu already standing between her and Gu Yunrui, his usually stern face filled with rage.
Gu Yunrui, pale from the pain, glared at Chong Jiu, “Why is it you again?”
Chong Jiu: “Please show some respect.”
Gu Yunrui: “…”
Su Qingwan didn’t want to look at him anymore and turned to leave. Chong Jiu immediately followed by her side. Though there was still some distance between them, and Qinxin and Qiyi were nearby, Su Qingwan inexplicably recalled last night’s embrace.
The rainy night was cold, but the embrace was warm.
Su Qingwan softly said, “I didn’t see you when I came out this morning.”
Chong Jiu: “Murong Jin needed me for something, so I stepped away for a moment.”
Su Qingwan hummed in acknowledgment, as expected. After walking a few steps, Chong Jiu suddenly said, “If Second Young Master truly cared about Second Young Mistress, he wouldn’t have allowed that Xu woman into his bed.”
Su Qingwan turned to look at him, somewhat surprised, “But Gu Yunci was drunk at the time.”
Chong Jiu pressed his lips together, “He knows martial arts. Unless the wine was drugged, he would have been conscious.”
Meaning, at some point, Gu Yunrui might have genuinely mistaken Xu Tanxin for Su Xiyue, especially since he hadn’t shared a bed with Su Xiyue for a long time.
But at the critical moment, he remembered their relationship, so things didn’t proceed to the end.
Su Qingwan’s lips curved slightly.
So, in Gu Yunrui and Su Xiyue’s seemingly steadfast love, a crack had already appeared. As conflicts and resentments accumulated over time, this crack would eventually cause everything to collapse.
In high spirits, Su Qingwan said with a smile, “If all men had your awareness, Chong Jiu, your future wife would be very fortunate.”
Chong Jiu’s fair ears instantly flushed crimson. His lips moved slightly, but in the end, he said nothing.
Meanwhile, in Haitang Courtyard, Su Xiyue awoke faintly and saw her mother, Xu Shi, sitting by the bedside.
With tear-filled eyes, she was about to pour out her grievances to her mother when she heard Xu Shi say, “Xiyue, now that your cousin Xin’er has lost her chastity and can no longer live with dignity, would you agree to let the second young master take her as a concubine? I’m begging you as your mother, is that alright?”