As Su Qingwan’s words fell, the main hall fell into complete silence.
Gu Yunrui, who had originally been confidently strategizing, now had a trace of confusion flicker in his eyes. Su Xiyue was utterly dumbfounded, her face filled with disbelief.
Su Qingwan’s lips curved slightly upward.
She had known all along that Gu Yunrui had no genuine feelings for her, so he wouldn’t have paid attention to what was embroidered on the knee pads and waistband. Thus, even if they were swapped, he wouldn’t have noticed.
As for Su Xiyue, she had always trusted Gu Yunrui implicitly. Moreover, having learned early that morning of Xu Tanxin’s successful seduction, she hadn’t been in the right frame of mind to examine the stitching on the knee pads and waistband closely.
Additionally, their plan had been hastily devised as a countermeasure, inevitably leaving room for oversights.
Feng Shi was also quite surprised. She had always believed her son had no interest in that Xu Consort. Curiously, she asked, “Was this waistband truly sewn by Xu Consort?”
Su Qingwan nodded slightly. “Xu Consort has been staying at the Su Estate for quite some time. She previously sought my advice on needlework, so her stitching bears some resemblance to mine. However, she prefers using brighter threads and has a habit of curling the ends of her embroidery upward. Xiyue has never been fond of needlework, but Second Aunt must have recognized it—this is indeed Xu Consort’s stitching, isn’t it?”
Xu Shi, who had been singled out, glanced at her biological daughter’s ashen face before reluctantly nodding. “It is.”
Su Xiyue abruptly lifted her head and stared at Gu Yunrui. At this moment, Gu Yunrui was also frowning deeply, his voice cold as he said, “I never accepted any embroidery from Xu Consort. How could this possibly be hers?”
Su Qingwan replied, “If Second Brother denies accepting it himself, then it’s also possible she embroidered it and secretly placed it among your belongings. If you don’t believe me, we can summon Xu Consort and compare it with her own embroidery.”
Though her words seemed to spare Gu Yunrui some face, they subtly implied that he had already been privately involved with Xu Tanxin. Otherwise, how would Xu Tanxin have known the measurements of his waist and legs?
Xu Tanxin was eventually summoned, bringing along her own embroidery. She appeared somewhat nervous, especially when she saw Su Xiyue’s livid expression, instinctively shrinking back.
When her embroidery was compared to the stitching on the waistband, it turned out to be an exact match.
Su Xiyue glared at Gu Yunrui. “Husband, this…”
Gu Yunrui had no idea where things had gone wrong. He distinctly remembered that when he left Linglong Yuan and took his belongings, he had impulsively taken three personal items that Su Qingwan had given him.
They should have been embroidered by Su Qingwan herself—how could they have suddenly become Xu Tanxin’s work?
Seeing the speechless couple, Feng Shi delivered the final verdict. “This isn’t a major issue. After all, Xu Consort is now A-Ci’s concubine, so gifting personal items isn’t entirely inappropriate. However, Xu Consort’s act of drugging A-Ci was indeed wrong. As punishment, you will be confined to your quarters for three months and forfeit half a year’s allowance. Do you have any objections?”
Not being sent to the rural manor?
Xu Tanxin’s face instantly lit up with joy. She promptly kowtowed to Feng Shi. “This humble consort has no objections. I willingly accept the punishment and thank the Marquis’ Wife for your leniency.”
Thus, the matter was settled. Su Xiyue was so enraged she nearly fainted on the spot. She turned and left without waiting for Gu Yunrui, convinced that she had been deceived by him.
Gu Yunrui, too, was deeply frustrated.
After everyone had dispersed, he actually caught up with Su Qingwan and explained, “Sister-in-law, I truly never received any intimate items from Xu Tanxin!”
Su Qingwan looked at him and found it rather amusing. “Second Brother, you should save these explanations for Xiyue when you return. Why explain them to me, your sister-in-law? As for whether you received intimate gifts from other women before your marriage, what does that have to do with me?”
Gu Yunrui’s gaze paused for a moment. In that instant, he almost suspected that Su Qingwan knew he was Gu Yunrui and that he had indeed accepted intimate items from Su Xiyue before their marriage.
But before he could figure it out, Su Qingwan had already turned and returned to Linglong Yuan. Having been out for too long, she felt somewhat fatigued. Now pregnant with twins, her belly was much larger than usual for the same gestational period, making everything more taxing.
Qinxin supported her. “Miss, it’s fortunate that Madam previously gave you the items Xu Tanxin sent to the Eldest Young Master for you to handle. They came in handy just in time. Today, the Second Young Madam suffered a great loss, and her child’s condition is worsening. Let’s hope she’ll behave and stay quiet from now on.”
Su Qingwan shook her head. “As for her, if she weren’t stirring up trouble, she wouldn’t be herself.”
Meanwhile, in the main hall of Haitang Courtyard, the floor was in disarray. Su Xiyue had smashed Gu Yunrui’s favorite white jade tea set.
She was both heartbroken and furious. “Didn’t you say those were Su Qingwan’s things? Didn’t you say we could use this chance to make Su Qingwan soften and believe you were the Shizi, so we could make her lose the child in her womb? But why did the items turn out to be Xu Tanxin’s?”
Gu Yunrui was equally frustrated. Looking at Su Xiyue, whose sweet face was distorted by anger, he felt somewhat unfamiliar with her.
His tone was indifferent. “How was I to know things would turn out like this!”
Su Xiyue looked up. “Could it be that you really had private dealings with Xu Tanxin before your marriage?”
Gu Yunrui: “You don’t trust me? Before I married Su Qingwan, the only one I ever had private exchanges with was you, Su Xiyue!”
His use of the phrase “private exchanges” showed that Gu Yunrui was also angered.
Su Xiyue bit her lip lightly. Seeing Gu Yunrui’s anger, she instantly calmed down, her rage turning into visible grievance. Clutching her stomach, she said sorrowfully, “Husband, how could I not trust you? I have nothing left now—only you.”
As she spoke, she weakly threw herself into Gu Yunrui’s arms.
Seeing her so aggrieved and distressed, Gu Yunrui’s heart softened. He reached out and stroked her hair. “Xiyue, we’ve been plotted against. We can’t send Xu Tanxin away for now, but don’t worry. From now on, she’ll just be a decoration, and I’ll pay her no mind.”
Su Xiyue still seethed with hatred, but then it occurred to her that she would have plenty of opportunities to torment Xu Tanxin covertly in the future. There was no need to anger Gu Yunrui now.
She obediently murmured in agreement.
The two embraced quietly, as if returning to the intimate days right after their marriage. Su Xiyue had always felt insecure, fearing that Gu Yunrui would be taken from her. Seizing the moment while the atmosphere was warm, she intertwined her fingers with his.
“Husband, stay with me tonight.”
Gu Yunrui had been somewhat stirred, but his mind suddenly flashed back to the time they were intimate and he ended up with a hand covered in blood.
He immediately said, “Xi Yue, the manor physician said your fetal position is unstable. Even after three months, we cannot share a bed. Your priority is to recuperate properly. This child is very important to me.”
Su Xiyue was deeply disappointed upon hearing this, but since Gu Yunrui insisted on leaving, she had no other recourse.
After Gu Yunrui departed, she angrily smashed the teacup that the maid had just brought in.
“It’s all because of that wretched Xu Tanxin!”
Meanwhile, Gu Yunrui returned to his study and opened a hidden compartment. Inside remained a pair of knee pads. Comparing them, he noticed the embroidery matched the stitching on the waistband.
Enraged, he threw both the knee pads and the waistband into the brazier.
Suddenly, he remembered something…
“There should still be many items Qing Wan gave me back then at Linglong Yuan. Yes, and the poem she specially wrote for me on a fan.”
They had been engaged for many years. Although their private interactions were few, Su Qingwan had always been a dutiful fiancée—never missing his birthday gifts or presents for festivals like Qixi, all personally prepared by her.
In contrast, he had always perfunctorily tasked servants with selecting gifts.
At that time, his heart was already entirely captivated by Su Xiyue. That girl was even bolder, once gifting him her undergarment during a Qixi festival…
Shaking off these thoughts, Gu Yunrui calmed himself. He remembered where those items were stored; he just needed to find an opportunity to retrieve them all.
Of course, it had to be done discreetly to avoid alerting anyone.
Gu Yunrui was determined to win back Su Qingwan’s heart before she gave birth, to make her believe that he was truly Gu Yunrui.
So, on a dark and windy night, he stealthily returned to Linglong Yuan, where he had lived for over twenty years.
Naturally, he was intimately familiar with every plant and tree in this garden. Gazing at the familiar layout, his heart ached slightly.
After all, this was originally his courtyard, and the gentle woman residing in the main room was originally his wife.
He was the rightful Shizi of this Hou Manor.
But it didn’t matter—he would rectify all mistakes and set everything back on the right track. Everything would belong to him again.
Including Su Qingwan!
Just as Gu Yunrui’s hand touched the door of that room, a sharp fist suddenly came at him from behind. Instinctively, he dodged the attack, but his opponent swiftly followed with a sweeping kick, forcing him to hastily defend himself.
For convenience during his nighttime excursion, Gu Yunrui was dressed in black night attire and wore a face covering, not wanting to be recognized.
Ironically, he immediately recognized his assailant.
It was that personal guard named Chong Jiu!
Subconsciously, Gu Yunrui detested this man—loathed how close he was to Su Qingwan and how he had gained her trust. Now that they had crossed paths, and with no need to worry about status, he could freely exchange blows and settle this personal grudge.
Tiles were sent flying, shattering into pieces upon hitting the ground. Lush branches were swept aside, leaving a mess scattered below.
Although Gu Yunrui was masked, Chong Jiu still recognized him.
Chong Jiu was versed in many martial arts styles, but he was well-acquainted with Gu Yunrui’s singular combat technique—taught by Zhenguo Dajiangjun Chen He.
See, Zhongyong Hou and Feng Shi had spoiled Gu Yunrui excessively. Even though he preferred scholarly pursuits, they hired him the finest martial arts instructor in the entire capital!
Even with General Chen as his master, Gu Yunrui was gradually losing ground because he simply couldn’t defeat Chong Jiu with his unpredictable moves.
A kick to his abdomen nearly knocked the wind out of him, and an injury to his calf left him in terrible condition.
Knowing he couldn’t stay any longer, he shot Chong Jiu a fierce glare before turning to flee.
But Chong Jiu would never let him escape so easily.